Harry Potter and his Witches
by Shinteo-5
Summary: Written in response to Jon3776's challage 'Turning the Table', though does not completely follow it. Harry was captured by the Black sisters. HarryMutiship. notevil!Harry. Post HBP
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: This is written in answer to Jon3776's challenge 'Turning the table'. Though his challenge was to write something with smut in it, I found it rather difficult to write about people having sex. Therefore in this fic, there will be very little sex scenes.

I hope that you would enjoy this anyway

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Prologue:

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_June 30, 1997_

_The school year had just ended a month ago, and the events that had happened near the end of the last term of school are still fresh in the minds of those of us who had witnessed them. The newly appointed Headmistress of the school had seen the students off at the Hogwarts Express with a grim face, and the students themselves seemed subdued, and filed away into the Express without their usual bustle and noise. _

_The week that followed was a busy one. The three of us; Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and me, Hermione Granger, had requested permission to stay behind at Hogwarts to do some research on the Horcrux. When Headmistress McGonagall tried to protest, Harry insisted, saying that it was the last wish of the late Headmaster Dumbledore that he find and destroy all of the Horcruxes. The Headmistress had no choice then but to let us stay. _

_We then spend many hours in discussion with the portrait of the late Headmaster Dumbledore, plumbing him for any information he had on the Horcrux, and many more within the restricted section of the school library, searching for more information on the Horcrux. We even made a trip down into the dungeons, and went through Snape's office with a fine-toothed comb. Unfortunately, whatever information we found were of little to no use._

_I did manage to find something of personal interest though. After that bastard Snape managed to betray the light and Dumbledore, I began to think about Harry. Specifically, Harry's safety. Who knows if anyone of us would do the same, whether under the _Imperius curse _or by any other means. The fact that he is, literally, our last and only hope, is undisputable. The fact that the Ministry is worse than useless is also undisputable. Even the Order of the Phoenix cannot help him much now. They are all busy maintaining their cover, given the close lookout that the Ministry is keeping on everybody; ready to haul anyone that the stupid Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, deems to be dangerous. I swear, that guy is a bigger attention seeker than Cornelius Fudge ever was. Doesn't help that he's better at it too..._

_No. What Harry needs is a group that is loyal to him alone. A group that would support him up till the time when he has to face off with that snake Voldemort. But for that to work, I will have to find a way to ensure loyalty. We cannot afford to have the likes of Wormtail or Snape within this group. Not when the stakes are this high. It is a good thing that the Headmistress gave us an unlimited pass to the restricted section of the library. I was able to do a great deal of research that does not exactly have to do with the Horcruxes…_

_I think I may be onto something. I just hope I know what I'm doing. Some of the stuff I'm looking into belongs to the restricted section for a very good reason. However, It just might be what I'm looking for. _

_Finally, Harry decided to go through the last known hunts of Lord Voldemort, and see if we could find anything. Though potentially dangerous, there was clearly nothing more we can learn about the Horcruxes within the halls of Hogwarts. Though my own project requires a little more time, Harry is not willing to wait any longer. We will be leaving tonight. _

_Hermione Jane Gangers_

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Hermione shut her diary with a sigh. She looked around the common room, empty now that most of the students had left for the summer. Her backpack was on the ground by her side, and she stuffed her diary into it, looking up towards the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory with an impatient huff. It was half-pass eleven already, and they had planned to leave at midnight. What were the boys doing?

She was debating if she should go up to their dormitory and hurry them up with a loud crash was heard from the stairs. Hermione could only sigh in expiration when she saw the reason for the crash. Ron Weasley was spread out on the ground next to the stairs with his pack busted open beside him, and Harry Potter looking down in amusement from halfway up the stairs.

"If you are done laughing at me…" Ron grumbled, picking himself up from the floor, and shoving the items he dropped back into his pack.

"Sorry, mate." Harry laughed, hopping down the remaining steps of the stairs to help. "But you must admit that you look rather funny on the floor like that. I had no idea that you miss Hermione so much that you would dive off the stairs to see her."

"I tripped!" Ron nearly howled as his ears grew red. He pushed the last item into his pack with much greater force then needed, determinedly not looking in the direction of Hermione. Harry just smiled before pulling out his invisibility cloak and shaking it open.

"This is likely to be more dangerous than the Ministry trip, you know." Harry begin, but he was cut off by Hermione.

"We've been through this already, Harry. We're going with you, and that's that!" With that, she picked up her pack and walked up to stand beside him and pulled the cloak up to cover her. "You would be lost within a day if I'm not there with you."

"Yeah, what she said." Ron said, as he too took his place beside Harry. "Besides, someone has to be there to keep you from going stir crazy if you only had her for company..."

"Thanks guy." Harry smiled. "I really appreciate that."

"No problem." Ron answered.

"We better go now before professor McGonagall finds out." Hermione added.

"Right. Let's go then." With that, Harry swung his cloak about the trio and they disappeared. The portrait covering the entrance of the Gryffindor's Tower swung open and close without a sound.

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Headmistress McGonagall sighed as the sight of the trio disappeared beneath the invisibility cloak from the viewing globe on her desk.

"Are they gone then?" A voice spoke up.

"Yes. They've just left." McGonagall answered tiredly, picking up her wand and turning towards the voice. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Albus."

"So do I, Minerva. So do I"

------------------------------

"Master, the time is near." Bellatrix Lestrange knee at the feet of Lord Voldemort, lips near the dirty stone floor of the hideout of the death eaters.

"Indeed." Voldemort's cold voice echoed within the large cavern that he had chosen as his throne room. "Collect Draco then, and pray that your plan succeed, or you will pay for your failure with your life."

"Yes, my Lord." Bellatrix rose to her feet and swept out of the cavern.

"Severus. What do you think of this rather... bold plan of Bella?" Voldemort asked, after the sound of Bellatrix's footsteps had faded away.

"It might work, my Lord." Snape answered, appearing beside the Dark Lord, his black cloak hiding him from view, concealing him within the shadow. "If Potter continues to be as... noble as always, it should work well enough."

"And if it does not work?" Voldemort's voice carried a hint of chill.

"Do not worry, my Lord." Snape replied with a smirk, reaching into his robes and pulling out a bottle. "As long as she can bring him here, a drop or so from this bottle and he will be yours for the taking."

"Excellent, Severus, excellent." Voldemort's laughter rang high within the cavern. "Soon, we will take our rightful place. Once Harry Potter joins me, and take his rightful place beside me, the Wizarding World will fall before me, and the muggle world to follow. Soon, victory will be mine!"

The high-pitched, slightly maniacal sound of Voldemort's laugher rang throughout the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, mates. It's good to hear such good stuff from you guys! Someone said I need a beta-reader. May I ask how that works? I never had one before.

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 1:

------------------------------

_July 1, 1997_

_Well, it's time at last. After a month training and pain and teaching, it is time to take my revenge against that dratted fool, Harry Potter. _

_When I first arrived with professor Snape, I was weak, unsure. I was unable to complete my mission. I failed the Dark Lord. I failed to kill that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore. _

_The Dark Lord was not pleased. Pain. Agony. The Dark Lord used the Crucio Curse on me. I screamed, fire in my veins, knives cutting into me. Greater pain I had not known. It seemed to last forever. Pain upon pain upon pain, it all came crushing down on me..._

_At long last, My Lord lifted the spell, and commanded professor Snape to bring me away, to 'retrain him in a manner befitting the son of a Death Eater', or so My Lord put it. _

_I was barely able to stand, let alone walk. Professor Snape pulled me onto my feet, and dragged me out of the cavern that the Dark Lord used to meet with his Death Eaters. I remembered seeing my mother, her face as white as chalk, in a corner of the cavern. Strange, why did she look so fearful and afraid? _

_Thus began my training. Everything that I had learned before was as nothing compared to the spells that I'm learning now... I briefly wondered why my father did not teach me all these. Spells to cause pain, spells to cause death. Spells to control the living, and the death. Potions that could kill in an instant, potions that would make living as hell on earth. With every spell I cast and every potion I used, whether the people I used them on were willing or not, I can feel my heart harden. At first I was unwilling and hesitate to do it, but with every time I succeeded in casting the spells, I found myself caring lesser and lesser._

_Ah, here comes Aunt Bella. I must be time... The Dark Lord had somehow sensed that Potter is no longer within the protection of Hogwarts, and had commanded me to get ready to capture Potter. Surprisingly, my mother wanted to come as well. I wonder why... _

_No mater. This is my one chance to redeem myself. To earn back the favor of the Dark Lord. This time I will not fail. I dare not fail. _

_I will capture Harry Potter, or die trying..._

_Draco Malfoy_

_-------------------------------_

Tom was cleaning up his tavern, the Leaky Cauldron, when the fire suddenly roared and neatly deposited three teenagers, one after another, on the floor, almost by his feet. He was so surprised by this that all he could do was to blink somewhat foolishly as the teens struggle to untangle themselves.

"Well, this is a surprise, I must say." He managed at last to say. "Don't think I ever had customers this late before," He lifted his eyes to check the clock behind the bar. "Or early, depending on your views on hours of the night..."

"I'm sorry," A mess of brown hair replied, as Hermione pulled off one of the boy's leg from her stomach and sat up. "We didn't mean to disturb you this late."

"Oh, think nothing of it, lass." Tom laughed. "You've just given me an excuse to stop work for a moment. Sit down. I'll get you something to drink." He propped his mop against the wooden counter and walked round to his bar. "Is butterbeer ok with you guys?"

"Oh yes." Ron answered, grinning widely. "And something to eat too, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Tom laughed again as he dropped a couple of bottles of butterbeer and three glasses onto a nearby table and disappeared behind his bar again. "I should have thought of it myself. Is sandwiches ok with you lot?"

"Sure." Harry replied, picking himself off the floor now that Ron had gotten off him. He sat down at the table with the butterbeer and started pouring a glass for each of them. "Sandwiches sounds perfect. Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Tom answered as he walked back into the room, a platter filled with sandwiches floated before him. "Besides, that's all that I have at this time of the night. Hope you don't mind leftovers."

"Of course not." Ron plopped himself onto a chair and reached out an arm for a sandwich. "I'm staving."

"You're always hungry." Hermione laughed, sitting herself and pulling a glass of warm butterbeer towards her. "Thanks Harry."

"Harry?" Tom paused, the patter dropping onto the table with a loud clutter. His eyes flicked upwards to the lightning shaped scar that was the trademark of the Boy-who-lived. "Mr. Potter! What are you doing out so late at night."

"Nothing." Harry nervously flatten his fringe over his scar, wishing, not for the first time, that he did not have such an distinguish mark. He shot an angry glance at Hermione, who had the grace to look embarrassed.

"Alright, I'm not asking anymore." Tom said with a smile. After all, one does not to be a barkeep without learning to keep one's mouth shut. "And I've not seen you at all tonight." He winked at Harry, who smiled gratefully in return. The ability to see beneath the surface is also a very helpful ability after all. "You'll be wanting rooms then?"

"Yes please." Hermione replied as Harry nodded, his mouth busy with a sandwich. Ron did not appear to hear the question, engrossed as he is with stuffing his face with the sandwiches. "Just for the night."

"Ah, it's a lucky thing that I have a room available tonight." Tom beamed, pulling out his wand and flickering it at their packs and starting up the stairs, packs following obediently. "Room eleven. You still remember where it is, Mr. Potter?"

"Yeah, I remember." Harry nodded, his mind flashing back to his third year, when he had stayed at this very inn too.

"Good." Tom's voice drifted down as the last pack bumped it's way upstairs.

--------------------------

"Wakey, wakey, Potter."

Harry turned in his bed, certain that he's still sleeping and dreaming. After all only in his nightmares would he hear this voice. The voice that has hunted him since the Ministry mission. The voice he hated above all else...

"Wake up, Potter! You don't want to miss this..."

Something is prodding him. Something rounded. Something that feels like...

Harry's eyes snapped open at once, instantly recognizing the shape of the thing that had poked him. He rolled off the bed, his hand sweeping under his pillow for his wand... Or rather, he tried to. Belatedly, he realized that his hands and feet were bound together, before his rolling motion off the bed succeeded in crashing him onto the floor.

"Looking for this, Potter?" A foot kicked his side, before pushing his shoulder, flopping him on to his back. Harry growled, staring up at the person who had kicked him, who was holding his wand, dangling it between two fingers, shaking it almost in his face. The one person that he hated most...

"Bellatrix..."

"Oh, so the great Harry Potter remembers me. I'm honored." Bellatrix gave a fake bow, mocking smile on her lips.

"What have you done to my friends?" Harry snarled, anger rising in him as he fought his bonds.

"The mudblood? Or the weasel, Potter?" Another hated voice. But different from the last time he heard it. Colder, harder.

"Malfoy!" Harry shouted, redoubling his efforts to escape. "You keep you filthy hands off them, you bastard!"

A thump, as something landed on his bed. As he watched, Hermione's head, bounded and gagged, appeared, dragged by the hair by Malfoy over the side of the bed. A second thump and Malfoy's face appeared beside her.

"Or you'll do what, Potter?" He taunted, touching his cheek to Hermione's. Slowly Malfoy's tongue reached out, licking at the helpless tears that streamed down Hermione's eyes. "I think I'll enjoy this..."

"Get off her, you bustard!" Harry raged helpless, unable to free himself despite his best efforts.

"That's enough, Draco." Another person, this time unfamiliar, though Harry was sure that he had heard it somewhere before. A tall woman appeared in Harry's line of sight, her face pale, and her lips pressed close, like thin wire. She was holding Ron, also tussled up like a chicken, with a grip like iron, though he was struggling with all his might too. "You can have fun later."

"Awwa, Mum!" Malfoy protested, but the stern look that his mother sent him made him close his mouth. "Fine, whatever." And Malfoy and Hermione disappeared from view, to appear again beside his mother, Hermione dragged along like luggage.

"Here, Bella. Hold him for me." With that, Malfoy's mother tipped Ron over to Bellatrix, who grabbed him by his hair.

"Cissy?"

"I need to check on him, Bella. If only to make sure you are not too... enthusiastic in binding Potter here..."

"Ah, yes. Potter..." Bellatrix almost whispered, licking her lips. "I confessed myself disappointed. We waited two whole hours downstairs, just to give you time to fall asleep, crept up with the utmost caution, with wands out, only to find that the room is not protected by anything at all. Did that fool Dumbledore not teach you even the most basic of protection and detection spells? I came looking for a challenge, and you disappointed me most dearly..."

"Dumbledore is not a fool!" Harry retorted angrily. But something else she said caught his attention. "Wait... Downstairs... What did you do to Tom?" A glimmer of hope appeared. If the innkeeper would appear now...

"Tom? The innkeeper?" Bellatrix answered with a short bark of laughter. "Why he's looking out to the streets, waiting for his customers, of course. What else is a innkeeper suppose to do?"

"If he comes up..." Harry did not complete his sentence before Bellatrix laughed again.

"Oh no he won't."

"What?"

"Memory charms are such useful spells, aren't they?" And Harry's hopes came crashing down.

"Enough talk." Malfoy's mother interrupted, finished with her diagnostic spells. "At least you did not break anything, Bella..."

"I wasn't that rough..." Bellatrix pouted, before laughing again. "I was saving it for later!"

"Can't tell with you..." Malfoy's mother murmured before raising her voice again. "Better go now, before anyone comes by these rooms."

"I'll go first then." Malfoy replied, an eager grin on his face. Somehow he had managed to drag all of their packs together and was now sitting on them, Hermione perched on his knees. "I can't wait to get started on her..." And his hands drifted up to lightly squeeze her breast. Hermione's tears started to fall again, as muffled protest escaped her mouth.

"Don't get too excited, Draco. The Dark Lord wants her untouched... for now!" Bellatrix replied, a matching grin on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Aunt Bella." Malfoy answered dismissingly, waving a hand in the air. "I'll restrain myself... for now!" With that, he pulled out a small disk, and disappeared with a pop.

"See you back at the Manor then, Cissy." Bellatrix said then, pulling out her own portkey. "And don't get started before me!" With a little wave, she disappeared as well.

Malfoy's mother sighed as an unseen tension drained away. She seemed to slump, as if whatever was holding her up was cut away, leaving her empty. She sighed again as she reached out, grabbing hold of Harry's shirt and pulling him upright. "Listen up, Potter. I haven't got much time."

"Wha...?"

"Listen!" Malfoy's mother snapped. "I need your help, and there's no time to argue."

"But..."

"If you want to save yourself, and your friends, listen to me!" She nearly shouted, wriggling her hands in her agitation. "I need your help to escape the Dark Lord, and I can't do that if you refuse to listen!"

"You need my help?"

"Yes, damn you. You're the only one that can help me now..." She sobbed, breaking down completely. "I can trust none of my friends, nor even my own sister..."

"But you can trust me?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but just then a buzzing sound was heard from within her cloak. Her hand disappeared inside her cloak, to reappear with a small disk like the one Malfoy used.

"Confound it all..." She cursed. "We have no time to speak now. I'll find a way to contact you later."

"What's happening?"

"I'll tell you later, Potter." She replied, swapping the ends of her cloak over her eyes, wiping away her tears, before tearing the edge off. "For now, remain silent!"

"But..."

"Silent!" She snarled, stuffing the torn end of her cloak into Harry's mouth with one hand, effectively shutting him up. With the other hand, she pressed the disk, activating the portkey.

In another second, the room was empty of people.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Another chapter up. Sorry for the lateness of it. Rather busy with real life at the moment. Thanks to all the kind folks that left such nice reviews. A question though... Should Snape be a good guy, or an asshole?

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 2:

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July 1, 1997 

_It's tough being a spy. You never quite know whom to trust. Your closest friends could be the one to betray you, if you're not careful._

_I have been one for many years now, spying on both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, to the point where not even I knew to whom my true allegiances belong to. _

_I have never liked mudbloods. They do not have the traditions and culture that we have had for centuries. They butchered what little they know about us in their tales until almost nothing is recognizable. They are outsiders taking our places within our own world. Their numbers grows every year._

_I cannot stand teaching them. Hermione Granger, for example. She came to our world, thinking that by reading books, she can know everything about us. She is a know-it-all, constantly interrupting me, thinking that because of the books that she read, she is somehow better and smarter then us. She is clever, no doubt. But she never realize that books can never beat experience. Never..._

_But as mach as I loath teaching mudbloods, it's worse by far to study with them... Lily Evans, whom I had the displeasure of taking potions classes with, is one of them. I had studied the subject since even before I came to Hogwarts. Potions and the Dark Arts were my best subjects. But during our first potions class, just when I was ready to show the world my potions skills, along came Evans, and with hardly any effort, took the first place in class away from me..._

_Professor Slughorn called Evans the most talented potions student he's ever taught. What does that make me, I wonder... I, who had mastered every potion that he could throw at me..._

_She had taken what should rightfully be mine, and for that I had never given a chance to humiliate her son a miss._

_I thought then, that if I weren't allowed to shine in potions, I would surely be the best in Defenses against the Dark Arts. After all, who had spend their childhood buried within the library, learning all the Dark Arts spells that he could..._

_But even that was denied to me. James Potter, perfect James Potter, took that honor from me, and he wasn't even trying. To make things worse, when I confronted him outside of class, he managed to hex me before I even drew my wand, and when the professors came running, he even turned the blame on me, saying that I was the instigator. Of course Dumbledore believed him over me. Perfect James Potter, who could do no wrong... _

_But now that I've killed the old fool, it doesn't matter what he thinks or believe anymore. I've cast my lot with Lord Voldemort, and can never turn back again. _

_And soon he will be here. Harry Potter. Son of my two worse memories. I shall enjoy playing with him..._

Severus Snape 

------------------------------

Minerva McGonagall sat at the Headmistress desk, tapping her wand idly on the viewing glob, causing the picture within to change rapidly, cycling through the empty corridors of Hogwarts. When the fireplace roared suddenly, she stopped at once, and turned in her seat towards it.

"Well? How is he? What's he doing now?"

"Gone, that's what!" Was the agitated shout, as Tonks' face appeared within the roaring flames.

"Gone? What do you mean? Did he manage to detect you following him?"

"I don't think so. He took a room at the Leaky Cauldron at around one thirty in the morning, and we settled down to keep watch outside the inn. Lupin thought he saw the fire flared at around six in the morning, but thought nothing of it when there's no farther movement. We watched the place till noon, but there's no other sign of them there.

"So what makes you think that Harry's disappeared?"

"When they did not appear for breakfast, Moody went into the bar to ask Tom about Harry."

"What did he say?"

"Tom denied any knowledge of Harry staying there. What's more, he did not seems to even remember seeing Harry that night!"

"What?"

"Seems like he's been memory charmed. 'Least that's what Moody reckoned..."

"So, what did he do then?"

"Well, Moody just sort of stare at him, then he started up the stairs."

"And they're not there?"

"Yes. But what Moody said was more worrisome. He said that there's signs that wherever he went, Harry did not go willingly."

"What made him say that?"

"Move over, you..." Moody's voice came over the fire. Tonks' head obligingly disappeared, and Moody's face took her place. "There are traces of portkey signature within that room, Minerva. You don't think that Potter knows how to make portkeys, do you?"

"I don't think so, no." McGonagall answered slowly. "Unless Albus taught him to."

"I did not." Dumbledore's portrait spoke up, opening his eyes. He had obviously been faking sleep. "There wasn't time to."

"Well, that clears it up." Moody murmured, then he spoke out loud. "So all we have to do now is figure out who portkey Potter away."

"You don't think that you-know-who has him?" Lupin's voice was heard as Moody's head was shoved aside, and Lupin's replaced it. Worry was plain in his voice.

"The possibility is not to be discounted." Dumbledore's portrait replied warily. "But we must hope that that is not the case."

"So, what's the plan now?" Moody asked, pushing Lupin's stunned face out of the way. "Any ideas?"

"Can you try and trace the portkey, Moody? See if you can tell where it leads to." McGonagall ordered, seating up in her chair, where she had slumped against when she heard that Harry might be in Voldemort's hands.

"Alright." With that, Moody's head disappeared from the fire, only to be replaced with Tonks'.

"What about us." She asked.

"Stay where you are for now. And be alert. We may have to move fast." Was the reply.

"Molly will not be happy with this..." Tonks tried to smile, but it failed to appear. "She's against this from the start..."

"I know..." McGonagall sighed. "I can expect a firecall, or possibly a howler soon..."

"Or she'll be knocking down your door tomorrow." The two witches shared an uneasy laugh, which died away after a moment.

"Look. Tell Lupin not to give up hope so soon." McGonagall said at last. "Harry is a resourceful lad, and he had lived through many misadventures already, and came out none the worse for them. He'll be fine."

"Will do, professor." Tonks answered with a slight smile.

"I told you to address me as Minerva many times already, Tonks." McGonagall replied.

"It's only been six years, professor. Give me time."

"That's what you said the last time too."

"I know, I know... I'll tell Lupin what you said then, Minerva." Tonks gave in at last, teasing tone gone.

"Alright. I'll firecall you when I have some news." Tonks nodded, and the fire roared again, flaring up before subsiding to its normal height.

"I did not expect him to move so fast..." Dumbledore's portrait murmured once their visitors had left. "This changes the Plan..."

"If the Plan wasn't thrown out of the window completely..." McGonagall replied darkly, her hand twitching near her wand. Then she sighed and settled down in her chair again. "There's nothing else we can do right now. I hope Alastor will have some good news for a change..."

------------------------------

Harry's eyes fluttered open, to see Hermione's face hovering just above his own. She had been crying, he observed. Tearstains were clear on her cheeks.

"You're awake," Hermione whispered, seeing his eyes open. Tears started welling up in her own eyes again. "Gods, I thought you'd never wake..."

Harry groaned, and tried to turn his head, only to find a sharp jab of pain in his neck. Further experiments in trying to move his other body parts resulted in explosions of pain. Gods, he's aching all over, like all the muscles in his body had cramped up, and was now just recovering. Sharper pain laced his back, where they rested on some kind of soft material. He was naked, with only a torn piece of cloth, which he recognized as his own robe, now ruined beyond repair, thrown over him. His head was rested on Hermione's lap, and she was running her hands through his hair, even as her tears dripped onto it. Her touch was strangely comforting...

"What did they do to you?" Hermione asked in between sobs, her voice quiet. "You were in so much pain..."

"Where... where are we?" Harry rasped, his voice was rough, and his throat was patched, like he had been screaming his lungs out for a long time.

"Some kind of dungeon, I think." Hermione answered, sniffing. She was calming down now. "Malfoy brought me here, and threw me in. Ron followed a little while later."

"Are you alright?" Harry lifted his eyes to find hers. "Malfoy... he didn't... do anything to you... did he?"

"No..." Hermione answered, smiling a watery smile. "He wanted to, he told me. He was whispering into my ear all the way down, telling me what he would do to me, but his mother stopped him."

Harry sat up slowly, wincing in pain, Hermione supporting him. He pulled the torn robe closer around him, and looked around more closely at their cell. It seemed to be hewed out of solid rock, with a thick wooden door at one corner, and a small window, barred, near the top of the room. He recognized the cloth that he had been lying on was Hermione's robes. The window was the only source of light, as far as he could see, though a trickle of light did steep through the bottom of the door. Opposite the door is a pile of old and moldy straw, and what appears to be a pile of clothe on it. Harry bites his lips, absentmindedly noting the taste of blood on it, before noticing what's wrong.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked, turning back to Hermione.

"He's there." Hermione answered, pointing to the pile of clothe on the straw. "Bellatrix stunned him when he wouldn't stop raving after they removed his bonds and threw him in here..."

"Bellatrix..." Harry growled, a look Hermione had never seen on her friend's face before appeared. Hatred and anger harden Harry's eyes, and he was clenching and unclenching his fist. "She will pay..."

"Harry... what happen to you?" Hermione, now a little frighten of the slightly mad gleam in Harry's eyes, asked. "You did not appear until almost three hours after we were here... then they dragged you in, all covered in blood..."

"Voldemort happened, of course." Harry laughed, a hard bitter laugh. "Who else."

"Vol... Voldemort?" Hermione stammered, turning paler then she already was. "He's here?"

"Yes. He's here." Harry confirmed. "Or, at least he was when I blacked out..."

"Oh Harry..."

"They had me collared, you know." Harry fingered his neck, where a thick band of redden skin surrounded it, the result of the chaffing of the leather collar. "Collared like a dog!" His hands went to the wrist, rubbing them gently. "Then they string me up and tied me to a overhead post," He showed his wrist to Hermione, who gasped in horror. The rope burn was obvious.

"Harry..." Hermione took his hands in her own, to stop him from rubbing the rope burn and making them worse, and to provide what little comfort she could.

"Malfoy took his revenge on me then." Harry continued, his voice growing dull, as he sank into his recollection of the events in his memory. "Remember the _Sectumsempra _spell that I used on Malfoy?"

"He didn't!"

"Oh yes He did..." Harry nodded. "Used me as a target for practice. Snape was there, teaching the little ferret, and healing any wounds that the bastard managed to land on me..." He tugged a hand gently out of Hermione's grasp, running it over a series of thin, white scars on his chest. "Didn't stop till the ferret ran out of magic, and could not go on..."

Hermione reached out and pulled his hand away from the scars, covering both his hands with her own. The warmth in her hands were somehow soothing to Harry.

"The other Death Eaters were there, laughing, mocking." Harry shivered as he remembered. "Voldemort was there too, seating in his throne, smiling that damn smile of him, that smile that said that he had won, and was rubbing it in my face..."

Harry shivered again as Hermione pulled him into a rough embrace. His voice is now almost a whisper.

"And then he declared open season on me with the Crucio Curse." Harry could feel the ache in his muscles; a sign that his body had not yet fully recovered from the abuse the Death Eaters had put him through. "Everyone had at least one go at me with that damn curse, most more then once." He was whispering now into the crook of Hermione's shoulders, as she wrapped her arms around him. "Gods, Hermione. It made the one I experience at the graveyard feel like a rap on the hand. It was like my blood had turned to acid, and molten lava was pouring over me while I'm being flayed alive. It's the worst I had from that curse."

Hermione was nearly crying again, as Harry curled up against her in remembered pain. She wanted to tell him to stop, that it's ok. To take that pain away from him. But all she could do now is to listen to him, and to hold him, and comfort him.

"Voldemort was laughing the whole time I was under the curse." Harry took a bracing breath, his voice a little stronger now. "He was enjoying the show I put up for him. I was almost unconscious when he finally stopped them."

It was at this moment when the door banged open with a rather loud clash.

---------------------------

Narcissa hurried down the stone steps, her robes swirling in her haste. She had to hurry. Her time is very limited. Bella would be along soon, and she had to get Potter to agree to help her before then, or...

Narcissa shook her head, dispelling the negative thoughts. She would get Potter to help her, even if she had to use '_it_' ...

She turned the final corner to the cell where the trio was kept in, and strolled up to the lone guard standing outside the door.

"Which of the Dark Lord's servant is present?" She barked, her fingers touching her wand, just in case...

"Huh?" was the guard's intelligent reply. Narcissa breathe a sigh of relief when she saw who had been left to guard the prisoners.

"Goyle! The Dark Lord needs you upstairs now!" She ordered, stopping in front of him. "You are to man the walls till the end of your shift. Do you understand?"

"But... the Dark Lord told me to stay here and stop the kids if they run...?"

"I'll take over here. Go! Now!"

"But..."

"It's the Dark Lord's orders." Narcissa replied sharply. "Do you want to argue with him?"

"...No..."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"Right..."

"Wait! The keys!" Narcissa held out her hand before Goyle could walk off.

"Oh...Sorry..." Goyle sheepishly replied, before handing over a large bunch of keys.

"Go now." Narcissa stepped aside and waved towards the stairs. Goyle nodded his head and walked off.

Narcissa waited until she could no longer hear the rather loud footsteps of Goyle before turning towards the door of the cell. Fitting the key to the door of the cell, she threw open the door with a loud clash.

"We need to talk, Potter!"


	4. Chapter 4

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter three up. I just can't seem to write this chapter properly. I'm still not satisfied with it, but after rewriting it three times, I thought that enough is enough. This will have to do.

Please tell me if there is any way I can improve my writing.

Another question. What do you think Narcissa would do to get Harry's help?

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 3:

------------------------------

_July 1, 1997_

_I failed them... I failed them all. Sirius, I failed to keep you safe. James, Lily... I let that snake take your son..._

_I'm sorry... So very sorry..._

_Tonks told me that I shouldn't blame myself, but who else am I to blame then? Sirius trusted me to keep Harry safe. And now he's taken right under my nose! I should have checked that flare of fire that I saw. I didn't even think of the Floo when I saw it. I should have been more alert._

_I shouldn't have allowed this plan of Dumbledore to proceed at all... Honestly, what kind of plan was that anyway? Letting Harry, a mere sixteen-year-old boy, hunt down the Horcrux, the holder of You-know-Who's splintered soul? Granted, Harry wasn't your average boy, and he had the brightest witch Hogwarts had seen for many years with him, but still... _

_And Dumbledore would not allow us to train Harry at all! No defensive spells, no detection spells, not even a simple directional spell! That damn portrait of his kept saying over and over that if Harry were trained, the 'power the Dark Lord knew not' would not manifest. That this power is the only hope we have to defeat You-Know-Who..._

_Now I wish that I had not listen to him back then. If Harry had known some basic detection spells, he would not have been taken quite so easily. In a straight fight, I would trust in Harry's ability to hold his own, but if he's outnumbered, or simply surprised, there's not much he can do with the spells he currently know..._

_Damnit... I almost wish that Dumbledore was still alive, just so that I can knock all his teeth out. Even in his portrait, he would smile that all-knowing smile of his, and wink that damn twinkle in his eyes, and say something wise like "You must believe in Harry!" or "He is our only hope" or something... And now that something did happen, all he can say is wait?_

_It's a good thing Tonks is here with me at Headquarters. If I was alone, I think I would have gone mad from all the brooding that I've done. She is somebody that I can talk to when I turn things over in my head until I can't see straight..._

_Tonks... I wonder what she sees in me..._

_I mean, I'm not what you'd call a good catch. I'm a werewolf, for God's sake, and poor to boot. She, on the other hand, is young, rather pretty (If you can get use to those outrageous colors her hair can get...), and an auror. She could have had the pick of anyone she wanted. Hell, even Harry would do much better then me..._

_I don't mind admitting that I find her attractive. Anyone would. She's also fun to be with, and one of the very few people that can make me smile anymore. She would make any wizard worth the name very happy..._

_Mind you, I still think that she's making a huge mistake with me. She could have done so much better than an old, broken werewolf like me. I am almost twice her age, after all. But there's nothing that I can do about it now... After the scene at the hospital wing at Hogwarts, everyone in the Order seems to be taking her side in this matter. Minerva even place me in the same team as her, for God's sake... _

_Well... It seems like this old wolf has been caught at last... I wonder what James would say. Knowing him, he would most likely laugh and say it's about time... I dread to even think about Sirius' reaction if he had heard the new. He is her cousin after all... He might just take it on himself to give me The Talk!_

_It's better not to think about stuff like that now... Harry still needs rescuing and there is nothing I can do about the situation now. I hope Minerva can come up with something..._

_Remus J. Lupin _

_------------------------------ _

Remus closed his diary with a sigh. Since young, just after Greyback had bitten him, his parents had given him his first diary, saying that it'll do him good to place in writing his feelings. And he needed that release now, more then ever. His mind seemed to have gone on vacation, as Harry's disappearance, coupled with the tricky question that is Nymphadora Tonks, swirled round and round within his brain. He wished that he had a pensive at this moment, but those things are expensive, and he simply did not have the gold to spare for it.

His feelings are a mess at the moment. Helplessness clashed with guilt warred with desperation fought with hope alongside with fear. He wanted to jump up and start flinging curses about. He wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere dark and cry his eyes out. He wanted to find something that he can sink his teeth into and rip and tear apart. It was only with the tightest of self-control that he was still seated.

Others think of Remus Lupin as a nice person with a mild temper. The kind of person that spent their time in the library, reading old and obscure tomes that others were quite willing to leave alone. One does not think of Remus as a person with violent tendencies, or even that he would willingly harm others. But if one does think like that, one would be irrevocably wrong.

Whether he liked it or not, (and he most certainly don't.) Remus is a werewolf. As a werewolf, the beast that every man carries in his heart is far closer to the surface than normal.

When he was younger, shortly after he had been bitten, Remus had a run-in with a bully in his neighborhood. The bully had taunted and teased him till he snapped. The bully was several years older then him, and was far bigger then him. He had with him his gang of followers, all bigger and older then Remus.

He placed them all into hospital.

Since then, horrified with the consequences of losing his temper, Remus had fought to keep his cool under any circumstances, wrestling with the beast inside of him, and keeping it on a very short leash.

But now, with Harry missing, the beast was closer to the surface then Remus felt it had any right to be. Werewolves are pack animals. Remus had include Harry into his pack in his mind, and now that the pack is threaten, the beast had been clawing at his mind to let it out, to go berserk and rip its enemies up. He ran through the breathing excises that Dumbledore had taught him years ago, when he had first entered Hogwarts, as a means to calm himself down. It took him several repetitions for him to feel that he's in control again.

Remus rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily as he looked at the other occupant in the room with him. Moody had already left to check the Portkey signature, to try and determined the destination, while Tonks had taken to pacing in front of the fireplace, brows kitted in worry. Murmurings could be heard from her lips and her hair kept changing color rapidly as she formed and discarded a dozen rescue plans a minute for the past hour.

"Better sit down, Tonks, before you wear a hole in the carpet." Remus said quietly, hoping to calm her down.

"It's charmed with anti-wear charms." Tonks replied absently, as she continued her pacing, her hair flashing through the rainbow.

"Well, sit down then, before the soles of your shoes wear off then." Remus snapped, perhaps a little hasher then intended. Tonks blinked in surprise, her hair stopping at a hideous shade of purple, before sinking into one of the sofa scattered among the living room. Remus sighed again when he caught the fearful look on Tonks' face and the bright purple of her hair draining to brown. "Sorry. I shouldn't blow up at you."

"It's alright." Tonks replied softly. Soft light blue infused her hair, replacing the remains of the purple. "I know you're worried about Harry."

"Come here." Remus said, patting the seat beside him. When she hesitated, he added with a smile. "I wouldn't bite, you know..."

Returning his smile, Tonks went over to Remus, and seating down beside him. She was surprised, however, when Remus reached over and draped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her close.

"I'm sorry." Remus murmured. "Let me hold you for awhile..."

"Of course." Tonks replied, noticing that the arm around her was shivering. It's not cold in the room, and they were seated near the fire, so temperature is not the cause of the shiver. "You know I'll always be here for you, whether you like it or not..." She paused when the grip tighten enough to be uncomfortable. Even without transforming, Remus' strength is considerable. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry..." Remus answered. "It's just that Harry is the last of the Marauders, the last link I have to my old friends. If anything were to happen to him, I..."

"Shhh... It's all right. Harry will be fine. He's a resourceful lad." Tonks replied soothingly, rubbing his back in slow circles. She sounded confident outside, but was just as nervous as Remus is on the inside. She really did not have much experience comforting people. Aurors are more often found fighting then comforting. She hoped that she's doing the right thing. "Besides, you don't even know if you-know-who has him."

She knew that it was the wrong thing to say when Remus only tighten his grip even more.

"Come now, Remus" Tonks said, as the hug slowly inched past uncomfortable. "Think of what Sirius would do in this situation..." She hoped that the mention of her cousin would be enough to calm Remus down.

"You're right. I mustn't give up hope." Remus said, sounding a little more confident now. "Even if he is captured, we'll just have to rescue him."

"That's the spirit." Tonks replied, hissing a little within the now bone crushing hug that Remus had her in. "Now, if you don't mind, can you loosen your grip a little?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Remus said, mollified. He quickly released his grip and Tonks rubbed her arms, wincing. "Sometimes, I forget my own strength...Sorry."

"It's ok." Tonks answered with a smile, though she was breathing a sigh of relief inside. "I'm not really hurt. I've taken far worse in the line of duty, you know. A little hug like that is nothing!"

Remus smiled too, but before he can reply, the fireplace roared to life, and McGonagall's head popped out of the flame. "Remus! Tonks! You guys there?"

"Of course, professor. Where else will we be?" Tonks replied, a little miffed that her time alone with Remus has come to an end.

"Just checking." McGonagall answered with a smile. "I thought that Remus at least would have strike out on his own by now."

"Oh, believe me, I would have." Remus said wirily. "If I know where Harry is, I would be there now, orders or not."

"I though as much." McGonagall replied. "Your wait might be over then."

"Did Moody manage to trace the Portkey then?" Tonks asked, picking up her wand, which she had left on the small side table.

"That's what he said." McGonagall replied. "He wants you two down at the Leaky Cauldron as soon as you can get there."

"Got it." Tonks snapped to attention, and gave a quick salute, grinning cheekily.

"Stop that, you." McGonagall scolded, though with no real anger. "We'll try to provide you with some backup, but I'm not sure how many can come at this time."

"Any help is appreciated, Minerva." Remus said briskly, fingering his wand. He was quite inpatient to be gone already.

"Right." With that, McGonagall's head disappeared, and the fire sank down to the embers.

"Ready then?" Remus asked, grapping for the floo power.

"Yes." Tonks answered, accepting the pinch of power that Remus poured into her hand.

Before they could throw the power, however, it roared again and McGonagall's head appeared again. "Oh yes. I nearly forgot. Moody told me to tell you to get the tools."

"The tools?" Tonks repeated. "He thinks we need them?"

"Just to be prepared, he said." McGonagall answered. "You had best be on your way then." With that, McGonagall's head vanished.

"What's this tools?" Remus asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing much... Just something the twins made for us." Tonks replied with a mischievous smile. "Specially ordered by Moody."

"Should I be worried?"

"You can if you must, but I wouldn't" Tonks replied, pouring the floo power in her hand back into the bag. "You go to the Leaky Cauldron first, Remus. I'll get the tools."

"Whatever you say." With that, Remus threw the floo power in his hands into the fire, causing the fire to roar green. "Will you be long?"

"Give me about fifteen minutes." Tonks replied before pulling out her wand and disapparated with a loud crack.

Remus shook his head in bemusement at the difference between how Tonks was normally, and when she's serious. It's almost like two different person. He stepped into the open floo connection and shouted his destination.

-----------------------------

"We need to talk, Potter!"

Harry jumped a little at the voice, but Hermione's arms around him prevented him from moving. He turned slowly towards the door, and the person highlighted against the open doorframe.

"Back for more already?" He asked, his rough voice's tone mocking. He had recovered his composition surprisingly quickly.

"No! I will not allow you to take Harry!" Hermione declared, tightening her hold on Harry. Even when wandless, she would not allow Harry to be tortured again without a fight.

"Don't be silly, girl!" Narcissa snapped impatiently, crossing her arms. "I'm not here to torture Potter."

"Then what are you here for?" Harry demanded, pushing away Hermione's arms, and standing up, Hermione beside her. "Somehow I doubt it's for idle gossip."

"Of course not!" Narcissa replied. "I told you back at the inn that I need your help."

"And why should I help you?" Harry demanded, his voice shaking with barely suppressed rage. "When your sister is the one that did this to me!" With that, Harry ripped open his robes, and turned partially, showing his back to Narcissa.

"By Merlin..." Narcissa breathed, eyes widening in shock as she took in the sight of Harry's back. It was covered with angry welts, some of which were still bleeding, crisscrossing all over. It appeared to have been badly healed, most likely to prevent Harry from dieing from blood loss. "Bella did this...?"

"She came in while the others were taking a break from their fun." Harry said, pulling back his robes. "After bowing and scraping to Voldemort, he told her to have 'fun' with me..." He laughed, a short, bitter laugh. "Her idea of fun is to do this to me..."

"What..." Hermione whispered, her hands covering her mouth in horror.

"She used a whip. Voldemort conjured it for her." Harry replied. "As if that's not enough. She had to humiliated me completely..."

"What do you mean...?" Narcissa could barely speak. She had never seen first hand the victims of the Death Eaters, and could hardly believe that her sister is capable of such cruelty. What could be worse than this, she wondered...

"She striped me naked, in front of all the Death Eaters and Voldemort, and played with me." Harry replied, his voice tinted with disgust and hatred. Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes when he remembered the shame and helplessness he felt then. And the hands, oh gods, the hands... soft hands running all over him... touching him everywhere... and no matter what he did, or how he tried to twist out of the way, he could not escape those hands, or the tongue that was running up along his length, and him helpless to do anything but scream and yell and wishing with all his might that it would just _stop...!_

"You mean..." Hermione could not continue. The mere thought of what Bellatrix had done to her best friend was too horrible to even think about...

"That bitch raped me, right there in front of my enemies." Harry snarled, rage twisted his every word. He could still hear the echo of their laughter, and the mocking tone that the Death Eaters had used to jeer at him, mocking him... Unbidden, the tears he had been trying to hold back started falling. "So tell me then!" Harry nearly shouted, so great were his emotions. "Give me a reason why should I help you!"

"Oh Harry..." Hermione stepped next to him and pulled him to her in a comforting embrace, and was relieved when Harry did not pull away, but turned to her and buried his face into her hair with a sob. And all she could do was to pat his back, whispering words of comfort to him...

Narcissa's mind was racing now. Bella could be here any minute, and she still could not secure Harry Potter's help. Time is running out on her, and with it her choices. She needed him to agree to help willingly because of the nature of her plan, so she could not threaten his friends. She had initially thought to appeal to his Gryffindor's honor to help her, but that had been shot down due to her sister's actions. The same thing with the idea of offering to teach him all the magic that she knew. Potter would not be willing to help the sister of someone who had abused him so badly. That leaves only one choice left.

Narcissa cursed under her breath. She really did not want to make this choice, as it means that she would have to lower herself. But because of what her sister had done, it was the only way that Potter would even consider her request.

Her mind made up, Narcissa nodded to herself and approached the pair, mentally reviewing her speech, and hopping she doesn't mess this up.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter 4 now. Thanks for all the lovely reviews, especially Shiemi Shimabukuro, Yenom and Skuld's Sentaro 5. Thanks for reviewing every chapter so far. Your support really makes this so much more rewarding.

I hate writing about Ron! Don't get me wrong. I like that character, but writing about him...

I decided to forgo the diary entries this chapter. I just can't think of one interesting enough to write about...

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 4:

------------------------------

The fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron flared out, and Remus stepped through, long years of experience saving him from landing flat on his back. Carefully brushing off his robes, Remus looked around the taproom, taking in the lack of people.

"You're here." Moody's voice growled from a dark corner, where he was seated with Tom, the innkeeper, who appeared to be asleep. He had his wand out and pointing towards Remus. "Say the password."

"Do I have to?" Remus asked, clearly reluctant.

"You know what we agreed too," Moody answered, his wand not wavering at all. "If you are the real Remus, that is."

"I know that, Moody," Remus tried arguing. "It's just..." he searched for a right word to describe what he thinks of the password. "It's just... so _silly_!"

Remus could have sworn he saw the corner of Moody's lips tug up in a silent grin for a moment before he was all business again. "The password, Remus. And I wouldn't ask again..."

"Remus ran a random race." Remus replied, sighing as he rolled his eyes at the password. "And I still want to get Tonks back for choosing it." He pulled out his own wand. "Your turn."

"Moldy Moody made a moot point." Moody grunted, putting his wand away and waving Remus over to the table, where several bottles of butterbeer and a couple of firewhiskey stood. "You're right, it is rather silly. Butterbeer?"

"Sure, why not."

Moody picked up a bottle at random and tossed it at Remus making his way to the table. Remus caught it easily and popped it open, before seating himself opposite Moody. One good thing about being a werewolf is that his nails are so hard that it can be used to open butterbeer bottles, though he'd rather do without it, considering everything else that comes with it.

"So, where's Tonks?" Moody asked, leaning back on his chair and reaching for a half empty bottle in front of him. At Remus curious look, Moody chuckled before explaining. "Had to order from him in order to get him talking." Moody nodded towards the softly snoring Tom before taking a drink. "Don't worry. I made sure it's safe."

"She's out getting your 'tools', or so she says." Remus answered, taking a swing from his bottle. He then nodded towards Tom. "And what's the deal with Tom? I don't think I ever seen him asleep this early."

"Oh, it's nothing, really." Moody replied, placing his bottle onto the table and picking up another bottle that was just in front of Tom. "Just dropped a couple of drops of Veritaserum into his firewhiskey and then, when he's good and out of it, I broke the Memory Charm." He frowned. "Very sloppy job. I barely needed to touch it before the whole thing collapsed."

" So, did he see who did it?" Remus leaned forward, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

"That he did." Moody answered. "It's as we suspected."

Remus drew a deep breath. "Death Eaters then..."

"Undoubtedly." Was the reply. "Though Tom could only confirm the younger Malfoy…"

"Draco Malfoy? He's involved?" Remus asked, worriedly. "He was last seen with Snape, escaping Hogwarts."

"Should have known how he'd end up, seeing that his father is Lucius after all, that good-for-nothing git!"

"Even so, I find it hard to believe that a student could escape our watch, no matter how skilled his father was..." Remus replied worriedly. If even a schoolboy could slip pass their security...

"He wasn't alone." Moody said, as he drained his bottle dry. "According to Tom, there's two other person with him."

"And he can't identify these two?"

"They were wearing heavy cloaks, with the hood up, apparently." Moody answered with a snort. "He only knew one of them was young Malfoy because he recognized his voice."

"So how did we find out who the others were?" Remus gripped the bottle hard enough to crack the glass. "They could be anybody..."

"Except that Tom overheard them talking, and young Malfoy addressed the two others by 'Mother' and 'Aunt' separately. That's before he dashed out from his room to confront them." Moody continued. "Brave, but foolish... he was stunted and obliviated I'm sure you can guess who they are now."

"Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy."

"Indeed."

"But why would Narcissa come along in this kidnapping?" Remus wondered out loud. "She isn't a Death Eater that I know of..."

"Maybe she came to keep an eye out for the Ferret Boy?" Someone said from behind Remus, causing him to jump a little. He whipped his ward out and spun around, only to find Tonks at his ward tip.

"Merlin, Tonks! Don't startle me like that..." Remus complained, releasing his grip on his ward. "I nearly hexed you!"

"Sorry." She apologized with a grin. She dropped the box she was carrying onto the table, knocking a couple of empty bottles onto the floor, and slide into the empty seat between Moody and Remus. "So what's this about Ferret Boy?"

"Wait!" Moody held up a hand, his other hand drawing his ward and pointing it under the table. "Say the password first. I have a ward pointed at you at the moment."

"Shesh, you sure are paranoid, aren't you?" Tonks pouted, before answering with a grin. "Tonky took a tottering tag. Happy?"

"Alright..." Moody slid his wand back into his robes. "Just being careful. Constant Vigilance and all."

"Whatever..." Tonks turned to Remus, dismissing Moody. "So... what is my dear cousin up to this time?"

"He was here." Remus answered quietly. "Him and your aunts. Both of them."

"My aunts? You mean Aunt Bella took Harry?" Tonks asked, surprised. "Aunt Bellatrix?"

"That's what it seems..." Moody replied. " 'least according to what Tom said."

"We better hurry then." Tonks said, her voice grim. This was not the time to be joking around. "Aunt Bella is evil..." She shuddered.

"Wait a minute." Moody said, holding up a hand. "Bill is coming with us."

"Bill Weasley?" Remus asked, looking up from his bottle in surprise. "Why?"

"Considering that we'll be breaking in and entering enemy territory, I thought that a Curse-breaker would be useful." Moody explained. "Besides, he's at Gringotts today. He's the nearest to us at the moment."

"I see. Will he be long then?" Remus asked, clearly impatient to be gone.

"I asked Minerva to owl him after firecalling you two, so he should be here any moment now. " Moody replied. Just as he finished talking, a loud clutter could be heard from the back, where Diagon Alley was located.

"Speak of the devil..." Tonks murmured, as Bill Weasley, fang earring swinging from the speed that he was moving, appeared in the dimly lit room, gasping for breath. He seemed to have ran all the way from Gringotts.

"The Headmistress has informed me of the situation." Bill said in greeting. "You guys have a plan?"

Tonks snorted. "We trace the portkey, go in and beat up all the bad guys and get Harry and the others out. Easy as that. No need for a plan."

Moody stood up with a clutter, the chair having fallen to the ground from being pushed. "Might as well get started then." He said, before starting up the stairs, his wooden leg making a hollow cluck on the wooden steps.

"Wait, you're not thinking of just banging in like that, aren't you?" Bill asked as he rounded the table and caught up with Moody within a few steps. "There's got to be wards and such up."

Moody stopped, and though he did not turn around, Bill had the distinctly uncomfortable feeling that his magical eye is staring at him from out of the back of Moody's head.

"And that's why you're here, lad." Moody replied at last, before continuing up the stairs.

"But I need to at least know what kind of ward to expect..." Bill followed, his voice growing softer as he moved up the stairs after Moody.

"Shall we go then?" Remus asked, heaving himself up with a groan. With all the worrying that he had done lately, he's feeling very much his age.

"Sure." Tonks replied. "Let me just..." Tonks turned to pick up the box she was carrying, but found that Remus had already taken it, and was already halfway up the stairs.

------------------------------

"_So tell me then!" _Ron stirred, as the familiar voice of Harry penetrated his sleep-fogged mind. He briefly wondered why would Harry be yelling, before focusing on the question of whether if he should wake up. It seemed rather important that he wake up, but he could not remember the reason why.

"_Give me a reason why should I help you!" _Ron really wish that Harry would stop shouting. It was making it hard to think with all the noise that Harry was making... It was hard enough the first time, when both Bellatrix and Draco Malfoy were yelling at him and Hermione... wait a minute... Hermione...

It all came rushing back at him. The attack, the kidnapping, everything. It was shocking enough that his eyes popped open and he sat up, looking wildly around him, searching for the enemies. No... Draco wasn't here, nor is Bellatrix Lestrange around either... Its just Hermione and Harry locked in an embrace... EMBRACE?

"Oi, why are you two hugging?" Ron called out at last, unable to keep silent anymore, and was gratified when his two best friends jumped apart from each other.

"Ron! You're awake." Harry replied, smiling even though there are clear signs of crying. "I was beginning to think you'd never wake."

"Yeah, well... It's a little hard to remain asleep when you wouldn't shut up." Ron shot back with a grin. "What are you yelling about just now?" He stopped, his grin fading as he took in the reaction of Harry and Hermione. Harry had turned pale, and Hermione looked as if she would bust into tears again. "What happened, mate?"

"Voldemort!" Harry snarled, color retuning to his face as rage began to burn in him at the thought of what had been done to him. "Voldemort and Bellatrix! That's what happened!"

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, surprised at Harry's outburst.

"We don't have time for this!" Narcissa snapped, stepping out from behind Harry, where she had been out of Ron's sight. "Bella could be here any moment now!"

Hermione gasped, and Ron briefly wondered what Bellatrix did to Harry that had her looking so shocked. Harry, on the other hand, had gone white, and was shaking violently. Ron wondered if it's healthy to change color so quickly so soon. He watched as Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry again, this time somewhat understanding that she was just trying to comfort him.

"So what do we do?" Ron asked, slowly getting to his feet. Being hit by such a strong stunter was no joke. His body was so stiff that he could barely move. He cursed under his breath, resolving to repay Bellatrix for this. Then something clicked in his mind. He turned and pointed to Narcissa. "And what is she doing here?"

"I can get you out." Narcissa continued, ignoring Ron. "In return for helping me, I'll help you escape, and provide you with all the information on the Dark Lord that I have."

"You know, you keep asking for help, but you have not told us what exactly you want from me." Harry said, as he pushed his bad memories deep in his mind. He took a deep breath before gently removing Hermione's arms from him. Facing Narcissa, He folded his arms and waited.

"I need to get away from the Dark Lord, Potter." Narcissa replied. "He took offence at my interference of Draco's... 'reeducation', as he calls it."

"But you're the wife of one of his Death Eaters." Ron pointed out from beside Harry. "I would have thought that you would be overjoyed for your son to join the ranks of you-know-who..."

"I love my son." Narcissa replied, her voice sad. "I have no wish to see him die in the service of the Dark Lord. But it's too late now, of course. He's too deeply entranced to even hear me now."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"He was placed under the tutorship of Snape when he arrived a month back." Narcissa answered. "I have no idea what he did to Draco, but when he was finished, Draco was nothing like what he was before. Now he's just like Lucius, cold and unfeeling. I have no idea if he can still be saved, but if I stay here, I'll be dead before I find out."

"I gathered from your tone that you do not like your husband." Hermione commented. "Why would that be, given your family history?"

"That is a story too long to tell now." Narcissa replied, with a nervous glance at the open door. "We should hurry and leave before Bella arrive."

"While I agree with leaving, how am I to know if we can trust you?" Hermione asked as her eyes narrowed. "How do I know that you would not stab us in the back, or that you'll not betray us later like that bastard Snape?"

"Don't worry. I'll not ask you to just trust me blindly." Narcissa replied, reaching into her robes. "I'll earn your trust..." She pulled out a sliver bracelet, covered with runes, from under her robes. "...with this."

"What's that?" Harry asked. "And how would that make me trust you?"

"This is a Loyalty Bracelet." Narcissa replied, holding out the bracelet for Hermione to examine. "With this, I'm placing my life into your hands."

"I thought that they were all destroyed long ago..." Hermione murmured, reaching out a finger to trace one of the runes on the bracelet.

"You know what this thing is for?" Ron asked, stepping up to take a closer look.

"I read about it." Hermione answered absently, absorbed in translating the many runes carved into the sliver bracelet, trying to figure if it's the real thing. One of the books in the restricted section of the Hogwart's library had spoken of this, and had provided a list of the Runes on it.

"It was used extensively during the middle ages, when the wizarding world had just separated from the Muggles." Narcissa explained. "The King of that time wanted something that he can use to ensure loyalty with his subjects. The Lords of that time used to overthrow the King whenever he did something they don't like. The King did not want to end up like his predecessor, who had been pushed off the top of his castle because he had raised the taxes on the Lords, so he invented this bracelet."

"And how does this ensures loyalty?" Harry asked, interested despite his current situation.

"It creates a bond between two person." Narcissa replied. "The primary person, in this case it's you, can read the mood of the secondary person. You will not hear my thoughts or anything like that, but you'll know if I'm being honest when I speak with you. This makes it impossible for me to lie to you, or to trick you in any way. It also gives you the ability to kill me if you decide that I'm not trustworthy."

"What?"

"The inner surface of the bracelet has a poisonous needle." Narcissa continued, ignoring the outburst. "It's triggered by your thoughts. If you ever decide that you want me dead, then that thought will cause the needle to reach into my body, killing me in a minute or two. You can ask me to do anything, and I want to preserve my life, I will have to do it."

She said it all quite calmly, with no hint on the nervousness she felt within herself. Though she had made up her mind to do this, but still... The act of giving up control of her life to someone else is bad enough, but at least it wasn't taken from her like the last time... And she had just recently regain control too...

"But why would you go so far as to hand over your life to me?" Harry asked, getting over his surprise.

"Because she's desperate, Harry." Hermione replied, having worked out a possible reason as she handed the bracelet to him. "Malfoy is likely the only reason why she's still alive and well after all."

"Draco's changed, Potter. I can barely hold him in check anymore." Narcissa said, quiet sob in her voice. "The only reason why Granger is still untouched by him is because the Dark Lord told him to wait until the next meeting of the Death Eaters. He want to witness your reaction when he hand her over to all of them, to do as Bella did to you..."

"What?" Ron nearly roared. He jumped forward and reached for her robes, pulling her almost face-to-face. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be, given that I was in the same room as the Dark Lord when he gave the order." Narcissa replied, turning her head away to avoid the flying spit from Ron's yelling.

"Mrs. Malfoy." Harry's voice could freeze fire. "If I find that you have tricked me in any way, I will make you wish you were dead, and then I'll send the remains to Voldemort and your son. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly." Narcissa managed somehow to keep the stammer out of her voice, though the fear remained under the words.

"Hermione, will this thing do as she says?" Harry asked, turning to her and holding up the bracelet.

"It should." Hermione answered. "There are a couple of runes that I'm not certain of, but it seems to be set up the way she described."

"Good." With that, Harry pulled her arm to him, pushing back the sleeve of her robes at the same time.

"You'll have to put your blood on the runes first." Narcissa reached again into her robe, and pulled out a small silver knife. "Use this on the ring finger of your left arm."

Harry took the knife without a word and made a shallow cut in his finger. "All the runes?" He asked, when the wound was bleeding freely.

"No, only the Domination rune. All the others are connected to it."

"Which of these is the Domination rune?"

"Here, let me help." Hermione said, before she took hold of both the bracelet and Harry's hand. She positioned the dripping finger over one of the runes carefully, before allowing a drop to hit the rune. It glowed red for a moment before the blood disappeared into the bracelet, leaving the rune color of fresh blood in the background of sliver. "There. All done."

Harry, bracelet in hand, turned to Narcissa, who had dropped to one knee, her left arm held over her lowered head. Harry slipped the bracelet onto her arm, and watched as the bracelet fitted itself tightly onto her wrist. Thin red lines, the color of his blood, shot out of the rune with Harry's blood to lace the bracelet, connecting all the runes together. Narcissa felt as if there were fire in her veins, as the magic of the bracelet did its work, binding the two together.

"It is done, my Lord." Narcissa gasped out, her arm dropping to support her from crashing onto the ground. She was shaking all over, and weak as a day old kitten. She was so preoccupied with her pain that she failed to notice a shadow from behind her.

"Well, well. What have we here?"

-----------------------------------

A/N:

So, who should be the one to discover them? Any ideas? The Order's rescue team? Bellatrix? Voldemort? Or maybe Draco Malfoy? Or someone else altogether.

And why would Narcissa call Harry Lord? Hmm...

Feedback will be very much appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter 5 out now. A round of applause to Yenom for guessing the discoverer right!

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 5:

------------------------------

Severus Snape walked rapidly through the dimly lighted corridors of the Dark Lord's dungeons, his black Death Eater robes swirling around him. The Dark Lord had told him to bring Potter and his... friends up to him, and the Dark Lord did not liked to be kept waiting.

Snape did wonder at the ease with which Potter had been captured though. According to Draco, he was asleep in a room at the _Leaky Cauldron_ of all places, completely open, without any protection that they could detect, and only two watchers outside the inn that wasn't doing a particularly good job at watching for intruders. It was most likely Dung, asleep on the job as usual. Snape could not figure out why Harry Potter would be out in the open like that, with such poor protection. He was almost asking to get capture.

Was it some kind of plan? To infiltrate the Dark Lord's hiding place and sabotage it somehow? To provide a link so that the Order can invade the place? It seemed rather uncharacteristic of the peace-loving Order of the Phoenix, but who can tell, now that the old fool is dead... Snape briefly wondered who would take over as the head of the Order, before deciding that he really did not want to know. Besides, it would not matter soon. Now that the Dark Lord is back from wherever he went to the last year, armed with whatever relics that he had found, they were finally ready to take over the Wizarding World.

Snape wondered what powers the relics that the Dark Lord brought back had. True, that golden cup was rather pretty, and would fetch a very high price on the market, but that doesn't seems to be the reason why the Dark Lord treated the object with as much care as he did. The tome too. It was obviously very old, but the Dark Lord handled it as if it was made of glass. Most peculiar…

All thoughts of relics and their use vanished, however, when he rounded the corner and found the door to Potter's cell open, and the guard nowhere to be seen. Snape hissed in expiration and pulled out his wand, quietly cursing the fact that even captured, Potter could still escape and give him trouble, especially when he's the one that will be punished when the Dark Lord finds out.

Sneaking to the side of the open door, he transfigured a loose rock from the floor into a small handheld mirror and used it to look into the cell, taking care not to let the light from the flaring torch reach the reflective surface and give him away. He was surprised when the reflected faces of Potter and his friends appeared in the mirror. Snape was puzzled, until he tilled his mirror a little more, and saw in the mirror the reflected back of a light blue robe. Only one person within the Death Eater's headquarters wore blue. Everyone else would be wearing the black robes that was the uniform of the Death Eaters...

The next question, of course, would be what Narcissa Malfoy could be doing in Potter's cell in the first place.

Ever since that day almost two weeks back, when she had gone to Gringotts to withdraw the necessary money to fund the Death Eater's operations, she had been most curious about Potter, asking discrete questions about his whereabouts. When Bellatrix proposed her plan to capture Potter, Narcissa had immediately volunteered, even though she was not part of the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord had merely raised an eyebrow, and asked for her reason. She had answered that it was to take revenge for her husband's imprisonment.

Snape questioned her motives now though, when he saw through his mirror that she had gone on one knee before Potter, who was holding something that seemed to be made of sliver. He pulled back the mirror and released the spell on it, dropping the rock onto the ground and straighten himself. Stepping past the side of the door, he was in time to hear Narcissa address Potter as My Lord, still on her knees. Snape frowned. That doesn't seem like something a vengeful person would do...

"Well, well. What have we here?" Snape sneered, and watched with a thinly veiled smile as all four person within the cell jumped in surprise and turned around to find themselves looking at Snape's wand.

"What are you doing here, Severus?" Narcissa, recovering from the surprise first, stood up, ignoring the wand. "Where's Bella?"

"Your dear sister is rather... tied up at the moment." Snape answered, a smirk on his face. "The Dark Lord send me in her place to... invite our guests to the throne room."

"What if I'm not interested?" Potter replied then, crossing his arms and looking at Snape with insolence on his face. Granger was clutching Potter's arm with fear in her eyes, while Weasley stood beside Potter, his face red with anger.

"I'm afraid, Potter, you don't have a choice in the matter." Snape said smoothly, his smirk growing wider before his wand suddenly snapped forward. "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS" He bellowed. The three students, without their wands with them, and hampered by the small area, dropped to the ground, arms and legs bound as though by invisible ropes.

"Allow me to help you." Narcissa said. She was about to pull out her own wand when Snape's suddenly appeared between her eyes.

"What are you playing at, calling Potter Lord?" Snape hissed. "Are you not aware of his identity?"

"Of course I know who he is!" Narcissa retorted, shoving Snape's wand aside with one hand while the other removed her own wand from under her robes. "He's my husband's enemy, and that makes him mine too."

"Then why did you address him as Lord?" Snape's wand refused to move, now trained on her back as she sweep past him to the three kids.

"I had to take him off guard, don't I" Narcissa answered, irritation in her voice as she waved her wand over Potter and levitated him, ignoring his glare, the only part of him that Potter could still control. "I'm not as good a dueler as you guys after all, and he was too close for comfort at that time. Calling him by his title was supposed to distract him and leave him open for my attack. But you just have to come in at that exact moment..."

"When did the brat merit the title of Lord?" Snape sneered, though he did lower his wand.

"It wasn't my idea, I can assure you." Narcissa answered as she made her way over to the door, Potter bobbing behind her. "That blood traitor named Potter as his successor to the title of the Head of House Black. I just used that title, that's all. I'll leave the other two with you." With that, she disappeared out of the door.

"Narcissa! Wait. I'm not finished yet!" Snape yelled after her, but she did not answer. With a disgusted sigh, Snape levitated Ganger and Weasley and hurried after her, ignoring the rather loud bump when Weasley's head encountered the doorpost.

------------------------------

"Ah, Harry Potter. So good of you to join us." Voldemort smiled, sounded for all the world like he was inviting them in for dinner. He was seated on his throne, with one Death Eater kneeing beside him, and the others in a half circle facing the door. The previously gloomy room had been brighten up by torches that was placed around the large cavern, and a bonfire was lighted in the middle of the room.

Harry managed to see that much before Narcissa dropped him without any warning, and releasing the body-bind spell that was on him. He sat up, rubbing his head, where a lump was forming from his head-on encounter with the rough ground, and glared at Narcissa, completely ignoring Voldemort. Narcissa, for her part, simply walked away to the side, without even a glance at the fuming Harry. Snape arrived a moment later, with a deep bow to the Dark Lord, as he too released his burden and took his place in the half circle of Death Eaters.

"And now that cast is complete! Let the show began!" Voldemort cried out, standing to his feet with his hands outstretched. The Death Eaters began to shuffle to their side, completing the circle and enclosing the three teens within. The only exemption being the Death Eater by the throne. Harry spied long, glossy black hair flowing from under the hood.

"What do you want, Tom?" Harry made a show of unconcern, as he slowly got to his feet, though his insides were quivering in fear and embarrassment. These people had seen him in his weakness and humiliation, and their mocking snigger was evidence of that. Harry flushed red, and he lifted his head to stare at Voldemort, not giving them the satisfaction of seeing him break down. He felt, rather then saw Ron and Hermione taking their place at his side, covering his back, though without their wands, there's really nothing they could do.

"For one, I would like you to stop calling me Tom." Voldemort replied, still sounding far too amused for Harry's ease. "My name is Lord Voldemort!"

"Yeah, whatever." Harry waved a hand dismissingly, apparently without fear. He heard Hermione gasp in surprise, but he ignored that too. After what was done to him, he had decided not to let Voldemort get to him. And what better way to cover up his fear then to escape into rudeness? There's always the risk that Voldemort would get mad enough to be careless, and he could find a chance to make his escape. Of course, the opposite could happen and his rudeness just make Voldemort cast the killing curse on himself, or worse, his friends. But that would be better then to go through again what he had experience once already...

As for Voldemort, though he did not let anything show on his face, he was rather surprised, and more then a little impressed by Harry Potter. He had just been tortured nearly to death by his Death Eaters, and then sexually abused. He was expecting Harry to be broken and crying, not just standing there without a care on his face. Now, more then ever, he wanted Harry on his side. The prophecy had only spoken of the one with the power to defeat him, but if the one with the power to defeat him were on his side, why then he would be unbeatable! And so he swallowed his anger at being called his birth name and smiled.

"You've got spunk, kid. I like that." Voldemort said, in what he thought of as a kind and gentle tone. However, with his voice pitched so high, it merely sounded sinister instead.

"Didn't I tell you before that I'm not interested?" Harry answered him, shivering. Who would have though... Voldemort trying to sound kind?

"I was hopping that you would change your mind this time," Voldemort told him, still using his 'kind and gentle' voice. "You see, I heard of what happened, and what Bella did to you."

"What do you mean?" Harry instantly countered. "You were there! I saw you on your throne, telling her to 'have fun'!"

"Yes, I did tell her to have fun, but I certainly did not ask her to do what she did." Voldemort replied.

"Don't try to deny it! I _saw _you on your damn throne!"

"No. What you saw was just a representative of me." Voldemort explained. He stepped away from his throne, waved his wand, and whispered something that Harry did not catch, and suddenly there was two Voldemort. Harry could only look from the Voldemort standing beside the throne to the Voldemort seating on it. A minute later, Voldemort released the spell. "I use this spell to create an image of myself to president over the activities of my servants when I'm otherwise engage in other things. I can sense some things from this image, like when any of my servants have something to inform me. Other then those times, I have no contact with my image."

"That still doesn't change anything!" Harry declared stubbornly as he stared at Voldemort. He sense Hermione and Ron tensed up as the circle of Death Eaters took a step forward and leveled their wands at the trio.

"I know." Voldemort replied, as he waved for the circle to lower their wands. "That's why I'm prepared to ask you to forgive and forget with this gift." As he spoke, he rested his hand on the head of the Death Eater that was kneeing beside his throne.

"What?" To say that Harry was shocked is a rather large understatement. He had come fully prepared to be killed by either Voldemort or his henchmen. He was prepared to fight, to take down as many Death Eaters as he could before he succumb, and he's sure both Hermione and Ron felt the same. What he wasn't prepared for is _Voldemort _of all people giving him gifts in hope of getting him to join the Death Eaters...

"Go to him, my pet." Voldemort addressed the kneeing Death Eater. "Go to your new master. Show him the proper respect."

Harry was too shocked to do anything other then watch as the Death Eater slowly rose to her feet, and walked to him, her head bowed, and hidden by the hood. When she reached Harry, she dropped to her knees again and kissed his feet, first the right, then the left. Finally she lifted her hands and pushed back the hood of her black cloak.

It was Bellatrix.

-----------------------------

"Well lad. What do you think?" Moody asked, leaning against the wall of the room that Harry had used only this morning. Now, the late afternoon sun streamed in thought the open window as he watched Bill Weasley waved his wand near the center of the room, casting a series of detection and tracing charms, covering the room in a shower of colorful sparks. His eyes narrowed when the sparks gathered around three points near him. One of the group of sparks was much larger then the others, almost three times larger.

"Well, someone is careless with their security charms." Bill commented dryly, as the sparks died out.

"I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with the spells you used." Remus said as he entered the door, bearing the box that Tonks had carried to the inn on his shoulders. "Can someone explain what all the bright lights mean?"

"The sport where they appear is where the portkeys were activated." Tonks answered from behind Remus. She had been peeping over his shoulders. The smaller sports indicate that someone had cloaked the portkey, making it harder to trace."

"Then the larger sport would be..."

"An uncloaked portkey." Moody finished from where he's leaning.

"But why would they leave an uncloaked portkey signature laying about like that?" Tonks wondered aloud. "That's almost like an invitation for us to follow them..."

"Precisely what I feared." Moody grunted as he pushed himself off the wall and clomped over to where Remus had set down the box.

"You think it's an ambush then?" Tonks asked as she joined Moody.

"It's more then likely." Moody replied, opening the box. "After all, someone went to great lengths to cast an easily broken memory charm and leave an uncloaked portkey. I can't think of any other reasons to do that..."

"Maybe someone wants us to rescue Harry?" Remus, always ready to believe the best in others, said. "Someone who was forced to participate in this kidnapping, but managed to sabotage the mission enough for us to rescue Harry easily?"

"Maybe, but I'm not batting on it." Moody answered, and threw a parcel over to Remus, who caught it easily. "Best be prepared anyway."

"What's all this stuff?" Bill asked as another parcel flew towards him to be caught in his long arms. He turned the parcel over and found the WWW stamp of his brother's joke shop. "Should I be careful in opening this?"

"I asked your brothers to take a look at some of the muggle stuff that I have laying around." Moody answered, as he dropped small packets and bottles into his pockets. "They seems rather brilliant at inventing pranks, so I thought I'd give them something better to occupy their time with. This is the result of their research."

"Instant Darkness Power. Sound Muffing Cream. Flare Fireworks." Tonks read off the back of the various packets. "My... They have been real busy, haven't they?"

"What's this?" Remus asked, holding up a long string of black hooter-type objects taped tightly together. "Explosive Decoy Detonator?"

"Just drop onto the floor and it will run off to a corner of the building or until ten minutes have pass, whichever is shorter. It will then explode violently. Can be used to create a diversion, or, if enough is used, to bring down a building." Tonks read from the label stuck to her own string of Explosive Decoy Detonators.

"And here I was, worried for the two of them when I notice that their shop is closed more often then open..." Bill chuckled as he pinned on his 'Shield Brooch. Guaranteed to stop any spell short of an unforgivable!' onto his robes, right over his heart.

"They do seem to have a knack for this sort of stuff." Moody agreed, clipping on a roll of 'Weather Bottle. Cause a thunderstorm indoors. Caution, do not use near glassware or ceramic.' onto his belt. "Maybe I should get them to be the official supplier for the auror corps?"

"Better not." Bill replied, slipping on a pair of shades 'that allows the user to be unaffected by WWW products that hinders or block vision'. "Just think of the havoc they can cause if they have official backing..."

"Indeed." Tonks said, as she draped her 'Shield Cloak. Protect against minor hexes and curses.' around herself and picked her wand up, having finished equipping herself. "Though it would be nice to have some of this gear when we're on duty..."

"Never mind that for now." Moody said, as he stumped his way to where the uncloaked portkey signature was, picking up a teacup on his way. "We better be on our way. Who knows what they could be doing to the boy by now..._Portus!_"

That thought had the effect of sobering the rest of the rescue party, and they finished equipping themselves in silence, and gathered around Moody, placing a finger each onto the makeshift tracing portkey.

"Ready?" Moody asked, looking around him at the nodding faces.

And then the room was empty once again.

------------------------------

Well, well... What is old Voldie up to this time...?

Will the rescue team reach Harry in time? Or will poor Harry have no choice but to accept Voldie's offer? And what of his friends?

Stay tuned next week on 'Harry Potter and his Witches!'. Hopfully…


	7. Chapter 7

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but real life is not very kind to fanfiction at the moment... Damn Soul Caliber III... and RE 4...

Anyway, here's something for you to chew on while I'm blasting zombies apart... even if those things in RE 4 are not exactly zombies...

To Newbie-Sama: Sorry, but the harem fics that I know of are almost all pre-HBP, so I can't help you out there.

To ShadowMagik: Sorry man, but as of HBP, Tonks is officially taken by Remus. So, if I want Tonks as one of Harry's witches, Remus would have to die, and I like that old werewolf too much to kill him off. So, no Tonks.

To Japanese-jew: I'm sure I asked you very nicely to be patient and wait for my fic to be completed before complaining about it, did I? If you're so unhappy with my story, you are always welcome to write your own, you know.

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Interlude:

------------------------------

"Bella."

"My Lord?"

"Well done on bringing the Potter boy to me."

"You are too kind, my Lord."

"Since you've done so well on this mission, I have another job for you."

"Your wish is my command, my Lord."

"I want you to break the Potter boy."

"...My Lord?"

"I want you to break his spirit, Bella. Destroy his will to live."

"And how may I accomplish this?"

"By any means necessary, Bella. Use any and all means to beak him. I want to see him quivering when he is brought before me."

"Through his friends?"

"...No. Not at the moment. I will save it in the event you fail. I need to gain his trust first, and I can't do that if his friends are harmed."

"If I may ask, My Lord?"

"Yes?"

"What purpose is there in me breaking him, my Lord? How will that help in his recruitment?"

"...Just do as you're told, Bella. You need not know the reason."

"Yes, my Lord."

-----------------------------

"It is done, my Lord."

"Good. What did you use, Bella?"

"The whip, my Lord. I broke his back with the whip."

"And? I do not believe a whipping is nearly enough to break one such as Potter."

"It is as you say, my Lord. He endured the whipping without a sound. I healed the more serious wounds to prevent blood loss, and continued, but still he made no sound.."

"Indeed. If he could withstand the _Crucio _from my wand, he could surely endure your whipping."

"Yes, my Lord."

"So what did you do next?"

"I torn off his clothes and played with him, my Lord."

"Played...?"

"I raped him, my Lord. In front of your Death Eaters."

"Ahh... And the result?"

"He fainted, just after he climaxed, my Lord. But not before swearing that he would take revenge on me. I had him thrown to the cell where his friends were."

"Well done, Bella. You have exceeded my expectation yet again."

"I live but to serve you, my Lord."

"Yes, yes you do. Now, for your reward..."

"To be able to serve is ample reward, my Lord."

"That is true. However, I would insist that you take this little trinket from me."

"It is my honor to receive it, my Lord."

"What's the matter, Bella? Don't you like it? Why do you not wear it?"

"My Lord... this is..."

"A slave collar, yes."

"Have I displease you in some way, my Lord, that I must wear a control device such as this? I can atone for anything that I've done wrong, my Lord..."

"Oh no, Bella. You did nothing wrong. It is for the sake of turning Harry to the Dark Side."

"You mean..."

"I had you torture him, then I present his tormentor to him as a slave to him. There is no way he would refuse such a gift."

"My Lord! Am I not your best and most able servant? Did I not remain faithful when your other servants did nothing to aid you?"

"Yes, that is true."

"Why then, my Lord? Why did you reward my faithfulness with slavery to Potter?"

"It was not my choice, Bella. Of all my Death Eaters, he hates you the most, and would be most receptive to as a gift."

"Why not Snape then, my Lord? Did he not kill Dumbledore? Would not Potter be more pleased with him?"

"Ahh, but _you_ are the one that killed his last remaining family, Bella. Or did you not remember the blood traitor to your family, Sirius Black?"

"But...!"

"Besides, I don't think Potter plays for the other field. You would be far more pleasing to him then Snape."

"My Lord! Surely you don't mean that I have to submit to him in that way!"

"Of course you do. It's part of being a slave, you know."

"But my husband..."

"Do not use your husband as an excuse, Bella. I know for a fact that you did not touch him even before you were thrown into Azakaban."

"But my Lord...!"

"Enough, Bella. Endure for the time being. Once he has taken my mark, I can order him to give you up."

"You would do that, my Lord? Please do not leave me under him for too long!"

"Do not worry, Bella. The minute he joins us, I would order him to give you up."

"...Yes, my Lord."

"Good. Now come. Put the collar on. I sent Snape to get Potter to the Throne Room. We will meet him there."

"...Yes, my Lord."


	8. Chapter 8

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter 6 out now. Sorry for the long delay, but it's the school holidays here in sunny Singapore, and my family suddenly decided that it'll be fun to spend in at my place. Thus I had spent the last month or so entertaining several kids, and it was only now that I have the computer for long enough to actually type this down, and that's only because they went for a visit to the zoo. They will be here for a while more, so the next update might be late as well. I will try to get it up as soon as I can though.

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 6:

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"What do you say, Harry?" Voldemort asked, hardly able to contain his gee when he saw the shock melting from Harry Potter's face, to be replaced by hated, and a deep anger that seemed to transform his face into an ugly sneer as he stared at one of the person he hate the most in the world kneeing at his feet, open and defenseless. Voldemort smiled and continued, "I can give you your revenge, your most hated enemy. All you have to do is to take my mark, and swear to serve me, and my cause, and she will be yours, to do as you wish."

Harry tore his eyes away from Bellatrix, who had not made a single sound yet, her head bowed, her eyes downcast. His face is empty of any expression, and he did not seem to even hear Voldemort's offer. His empty eyes drifted to Voldemort's face Beside him, he felt Hermione's hands slip into his own, and squeezed, as if to remind him that his friends were still around him, that he is not alone here. Slowly, reason returned to his eyes, and he shook his head, trying to shake loose that terrible anger he felt when he laid eyes on Bellatrix.

"And what of my friends, Tom?" Harry asked, waving his free hand towards them, both Ron and Hermione had given up staring up at the expressionless masks of the Death Eaters, and was looking up fearfully at Voldemort too. "What will happen to them?"

"If they will take my mark too, then I see no need to do anything to hurt them." Voldemort answered with an indulgence smile, dropping onto his throne, his voice dropping to a whisper that nonetheless carried to the farthest ends of the room. "If they do not agree to this, then I'm sure my Death Eaters can entertain themselves with them. I understand that young Draco Malfoy has expressed a certain... interest in Ganger there. I'm sure he'll be glad to take care of her for you."

"Harry..." Hermione whispered as she tightens her grip on his hand. Harry could feel the sweat coating her palm, silent testimony of the fear the Hermione is feeling at the moment, though she'll rather die then show it to the surrounding group.

"Don't worry, Hermione." Harry attempted a smile as he glanced back to meet her worried gaze, trying to assure her, though it felt strained. "I wouldn't let them do anything to you."

And the circle of Death Eaters broke out in laugher, an ugly swell of sound that was mocking and dismissive all at once. Harry flushed when he realized that what he said had been heard by everyone around them. Voldemort smiled, a lazy smirk that shows how much he though of Harry's declaration. "Really now, Harry. Take a look around you." And he swept his arm across the room to include all the Death Eaters around him. "You're surrounded by my servants, without your wand. What can you do to protect her? Nothing! That is, unless you join me now..."

"Can you tell me why are you suddenly so interested in recruiting me?" Harry asked suddenly, cutting directly into Voldemort's speech, ignoring the dying laugher and the sudden hissing of the Death Eaters at the disrespect shown to their Lord, his eyes fixed on Voldemort and his face grim. "I mean, you have been trying to kill me for years now, every time we met. Why are you changing your tune now?"

"While we might have our differences in the past, Harry, I wasn't really out to kill you."

"Then were those killing curse you shot in my way for fun or something?"

"No, no, you misunderstood me." Voldemort replied, shaking his head. "I fired the killing curse at you because you were in my way at that time, not because I truly wish you dead. Someone of your power, I'd rather have at my side, instead of as an enemy. It'll be a waste of good talents if I'm forced to kill you."

"Then why don't you kill me now." Harry countered impulsively, stepping forward, and pulling Hermione along with him unwittingly. "I'd rather die then to serve you. You should know that by now!"

"Now, now. Don't be so hasty in dismissing the idea, Harry." Voldemort smiled from his throne, and Harry's blood began to boil from the apparent lack of concern in Voldemort's response. His smile had been one that might have been given to a wayward child that had been misbehaving. "Think of your friends, Harry. Are you willing to give up their lives, just because you're feeling selfish? Or are you so blinded by Dumbledore's ideals that you can't see the possibilities in joining with me? The same old fool that sent you back to your despicable _muggle _relatives every year, even though it is clear that they have been mistreating you? The same senile old man that told you of my history instead of teaching you useful spells to fight me?"

"Do not talk about the Headmaster that way!" Harry replied hotly, automatically came to his mentor's defense, though a small part of him had been wondering the same thing for some time. "He has his reasons for doing what he did." He frowned. Something that Voldemort said... "How do you know that the Headmaster had been telling me your story anyway?"

"Don't worry. Your mind is safe from me now." Voldemort replied with a short laugh, correctly interpreting Harry's thoughts. "Something happened when I last entered your mind at the Ministry, and now I can't even sense it anymore. No, someone told me about it. My servant within Hogwarts."

"Snape..." Harry growled angrily, instantly making the connection.

"Indeed. He had been most useful, is Severus Snape." Voldemort gestured towards the part of the circle of Death Eaters where Snape was standing. "He allowed me to keep an eye on the activities of the Order that had caused me so much trouble the last time, and act to disrupt their operations. It's too bad he had to pull out after he killed that meddlesome old fool!"

"Why did you kill Professor Dumbledore?" Harry had turned to Snape; his eyes filled with unshed tears when he thought of the old Headmaster of Hogwarts. "He trusted you...!"

"It was all in the service of My Lord." Snape replied coolly, bowing to Voldemort. "The old man was too trusting. A few tales of regret and anguish and he was moved to help me. It helps, of course, that I was already an accomplished Occluist at that time, and was able to show him only what I wanted him to see, keeping my real thought away from his preying mind... "

"Yes, Dumbledore was a great fool to believe so easily." Voldemort returned to the conversation, his eyes jumped from the back of Snape's head, to Harry's face and back. "But even he was not trusting enough to tell Snape the one thing I really want to know from him."

"Oh? And what could that be?" Harry frowned as he ran though the list of things that he knew Voldemort wanted and only Dumbledore knows, but came up blank.

"The prophecy, of course. Nothing else is worth the time and energy." Voldemort said it in such an off-handed manner that it was several moments before Harry comprehended what he was saying.

"The prophecy?" Harry asked blankly for a moment, before remembering the incident last year. "You mean the one that was smashed at the Ministry? The one with my name on it?"

"The very same."

"And Snape has been trying to get it from the Headmaster for all this time?"

"Indeed. It was rather surprising to learn that he had been collecting information for those years where I was... unwell, and had remained faithful, instead of _some_ of my servants..."

The circle of Death Eaters stirred as they gazed uneasily at each other, remembering the punishment the Dark Lord had lashed upon them that day.

"I knew, of course, part of the prophecy." Voldemort continued. "That's why I was after you in the first place after all. Didn't Dumbledore tell you about it?"

Harry was about to answer that, when Hermione choose that moment to speak up.

"Excuse me, why would Professor Dumbledore know what the prophecy says?" And Harry turned to stare at her, surprised. He had told both Hermione and Ron about the prophecy after all, and he wondered why would Hermione decided to feign ignorance. Hermione did not answer his unasked question, however, but returned his gaze with a look that plainly says 'trust me'.

"But..." Ron, it appears, did not catch Hermione's hint. Luckily, Harry was quick in reacting, reasoning that Hermione had likely thought of some sort of plan, and decided to follow her lead for the moment.

"I would like to know the answer to that question too, actually." He said quickly, cutting Ron off mid-sentence. Behind his back, Hermione jabbed an elbow into Ron's side as he gaped at Harry, plainly wondering what's up with the both of them. He was about to protest when he caught the look in Hermione's eyes. The one that she used whenever they disturbed her in the library. The one that promised untold pain if he so much as open his mouth. Ron very wisely shut up.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and turned back to Voldemort, only to find him looking at Hermione, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"So... the mouse found her courage after all." Voldemort mused aloud, causing Hermione to flush a deep red, and she tried to disappear behind Harry. "I was beginning to wonder if the report given by both Snape and Draco is somehow mistaken about you, Miss Granger. A mudblood, yet the highest scoring student to appear within Hogwarts for many years..." He gazed at her in contemplation, before shrugging his shoulders. "Ah well, back to your question. The reason why Dumbledore would know the prophecy? The answer is simple, really. He would know because the prophecy was told to him. He is the one that heard it. All of it."

"And what does it says?"

The Death Eaters murmured amongst themselves, surprised at the tone the mudblood witch took with their Lord. Some were fingering their wands, itching to teach the girl a lesson. It was only because of the standing order from the Dark Lord that none of Harry Potter's friends were to be harmed that they did not do anything already. Voldemort, on the other hand, did not seemed angry with Hermione. If anything, he seemed amused.

"What I heard did not really say much." Voldemort replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Basically, it foretold of the one with the power to defeat me that will be born on the seventh month, and to parents that have defied me three time. That's all I know. You see now why I wanted the rest of the prophecy?"

"And those words was all it takes for you to kill my parents?" Harry spoke up.

"Not only your family." Voldemort admitted. "There's another that fits the description. The Longbottom. I believe young Draco had mentioned that the youngest was in your group that managed to route my Death Eaters at the Ministry?

"Neville? Yes, he was with us that day." Harry was beginning to see the outlines of Hermione's plan. "You mean...?"

"Yes. He is the other one that might fit the bill of the prophecy." Voldemort chuckled, as if he found something rather funny in what he said. "I was going to pay them a visit after I was through with your family, but of course you managed to screw that plan up rather badly. Bella and the others knew I wanted them dead, of course. That's why they went after them after my... accident. They thought that the Longbottom somehow knew my location, and got a little carried away in their enthusiasm."

"I know." Harry replied sadly, remembering the vacant faces of Neville's parents, and the quiet despair when he saw Neville at Saint Mungo's on his visit to his parents. "I saw what remained of them at Saint Mungo's."

"I was tempted to pay a visit to them, and finish the job from so long ago, you know." Voldemort commented casually. "But in the state they're in, they would have posted no challenge at all. Their son, however, is another matter. I cannot allow him to grow any stronger... or at least not unless he bears my mark too."

"You still didn't tell me why you suddenly wish to recruit me." Harry reminded Voldemort, not comfortable with the direction the conversation is going.

"It's really rather simple, Harry." Voldemort smiled, as if he was aware of what Harry was trying to do. However, he decided to play along for the time being. He had all the time in the world to change Harry's mind after all, and it really would not do to spoil any progress he had made by haste. Potter would not be able to escape his fortress, even if he had his wand, so there really is no hurry. "I'm rather surprised that you did not work it out already."

"Don't blame me," Harry grumbled. "Hermione is the brains of this group, not me."

"Oh really?" Voldemort seemed interested, in spite of his pureblood convictions. "Why don't you tell us your thoughts on this matter then, Granger."

The Death Eaters rustled, plainly surprised at their Lord's decision. Why would he allow a mudblood to speak at all? Was it because this particular mudblood is the friend of Potter, and this is part of the plan to get Potter to join them? Or was their Lord truly impressed by the report on the mudblood given by both Snape and the younger Malfoy? Either way, this is not good in the views of the assembled Death Eaters. Even if it is for the sake of recruiting Potter, is it really worth it to pollute the circle with impure blood? These are the thoughts that were circling around the minds of the Death Eaters. None more so than one of the newest recruit, Draco Malfoy.

One of the reason why Draco Malfoy agreed to join the Death Eaters, apart from the pressure of family, and the expectation of his father, was the promise the Dark Lord made to give Granger to him, after the mission was over. However, he had seen the look on the Dark Lord's face when he looked at the mudblood's face, and was rather concern that the Dark Lord would take back his promise. It was not as if he had any particular feelings for the girl though. He would certainly enjoy using her, that is true. But what he was really looking forward to was the look on Potter's face when he had his fun in front of him. He had stayed up many a night imagining the scene, and taking satisfaction as he pictured in his mind Potter's possible reactions, and trying to remain patient as he waited for the day his dream would become reality. Now, however, it seems that that might not happen after all. It was this thought running in his mind that cause him to speak up, disregarding the dangers of speaking out of turn in the presence of his Lord.

"My Lord! Surely you are not serious! She is a mudblood! She is not worthy to address her better!"

Voldemort turned slowly, his smile disappearing as if it had never been there, to regard the son of one of his inner circle of Death Eaters.

"Do you presume to give me instructions, Malfoy?" He whispered softly, his voice suddenly like the winter ice, and Draco was forcefully reminded of what his Lord was capable of.

"My Lord, I..."

"SILENCE!" Voldemort roared, springing up on his feet. "It seems that I have to remind you just who is in charge here!"

"But... My Lord..."

"_CRUCIO_!" Voldemort screeched, whipping his wand forward, the spell striking Draco almost before he finished the second word in his sentence. There was nothing that Draco can do other then to drop onto the ground, screaming in pain as the spell ripped into his nerves. Voldemort held the curse for a long moment before releasing it, leaving Draco withering on the hard ground. "Do not question my decision again, Malfoy. Next time I will not be so merciful."

"Yes, my Lord." Draco managed to gasp out, as he attempted to pull himself onto his knees. Voldemort watched him for a moment, before turning to Snape.

"Severus! Take him to your lab and patch him up." He ordered, as he waved his wand, knocking Draco backwards, almost onto Snape's feet.

"As you command, My Lord." Snape replied smoothly, reaching down to pick Draco up, and pulled one of his arms over his own shoulder, supporting Draco's weight before turning to leave. He was almost at the door when Voldemort's voice reached him again.

"And see to it that he do not disobey me in the future."

"Yes, My Lord." Snape bowed from the doorway, before disappearing from the door.

Voldemort sighed, turning to the remaining Death Eaters with an icy gaze. "Is there anyone that would like to say anything at this moment?"

The silent was so complete that one could almost hear the fading sound of Draco's scraping feet.

"I thought not..." Voldemort nodded, satisfied, as he replaced his wand in its holder. "Now, shall we continue, Granger?"

-----------------------------

Not far away from where Voldemort was holding court with Harry and his friends, within an empty vale surrounded by tall, dark trees, something is happening. Once, This vale was the home of many animals. However, in recent years, something has disturbed the peace in this place, killing the plant life, and driving away the animals. Even the sky above the vale is overcast more often then not. Only snakes seemed to be able to survive here now.

The air in the center of the vale just above the ground shimmered as if something was disturbing it. Normally, there will be Death Eaters, mostly drawn from the younger recuits, keeping watch over this area, the only place within half a hundred square kilometers that you can portkey or apparate. However, endless days of relentless dullness without anything happening had lured the guards into a false sense of security, and thus there were only two guards on watch on this day.

It is perhaps unfortunate that the two on watch happened to be Crabbe and Goyle. Anyone more alert would have caught sight of the four people dropping out of the thin air almost at once, as they dropped unceremoniously onto the ground in a heap. Even if they did not see them, the sound of the china teacup hitting the ground is unmistakable. Fortunately for our would-be rescuers, even Goyle, who had just relived the previous guard not ten minutes ago, had been lured to sleep by the mind numbing boredom of guard duty, and thus had completely missed the action the one day that danger and excitement came.

"Damnit... That hurts." The pink haired woman grumbled from the top of the pile as she pushed herself off the others. "Couldn't you choose a softer place to land?"

"Quit your complaining, kido." Moody replied crossly, as he extracted himself from the middle of the other two men, his magical eye whirling around inside his eye socket, taking in their surroundings and looking for any traps and such. "This is a hostile situation, remember? Besides, it's not like I had a choice in where to land. This is a unknown portkey, you know?"

"But where is their lair?" Remus asked, looking about him. "All I can see is trees..."

"Underground." Bill answered, flickering his wand in a seemingly random pattern. "All the wards in this area are barely knee height. They would not cover a goblin comfortably, let alone humans. They must be underground."

"Great. Now what do we do? Start digging?" Remus was starting to get very frustrated. He wanted to find Harry, and he want to find him _now_. Something tells him that they do not have much time left.

"Relax, Remus. Getting upset would not help us find him any faster." Tonks said, attempting to calm Remus down. "We'll just search for the entrance. It can't be far away from here..."

"No need for that." Moody replied. "I think I've found our entrance." And he jabbed a finger towards a tree, somewhat larger then the ones around it, and more precisely, at the two bundles of black clothe that lay at the foot of said tree.

"Oh, you got to be kidding me..." Tonks had to cover her mouth to stop a laugh from busting out when she saw what it was. "Sleeping while on duty? They're going to get a earful if someone finds out about this."

"I'm sorely tempted to yell at them." Moody said, shaking his head. "If they were my aurors, I would have blistered their ears off already!"

"Under the circumstances, I'm just glad that I don't have to fight my way in." Bill said with a grin. "More power to them, I say, if they want to slack off. Makes my our job easier."

"I have to agree." Remus said, his voice filled with impatience. "We really don't have time to play around with. Who knows what could happen to Harry by now."

"Alright, alright. Keep your hats on." Moody replied. "Tonks! Tag them. Bill, see if you can find the entrance to wherever they are hiding. Remus, help him, if you don't mind. I'll search around, see if there's any traps lying around here..."

"Roger that, boss." Tonks replied, snapping a quick salute, before pulling out a couple of their specially modified portkey tags. A small metal disk only slightly bigger then a galleon, it was normally used when aurors captured a criminal, and is a quick way of bypassing all the hassle of signing in at the front desk, dropping the criminal directly into one of the Ministry's holding rooms. The ones used by the Order, however, deposit the person it's attached to in the dungeons of their current headquarters. Tonks stepped over to them, dropping one tag each on the sleeping guard, and tapped them with her wand, sending them away with a pop.

"Here. I've found it." Remus called out from his position in front of the tree that Crabbe and Goyle had been sleeping in the shade of.

"That's fast." Tonks replied.

"Not really." Remus answered with a tight smile. "I just followed their scent."

"Well, lad?" Moody asked, having finished his scan of the area, and finding nothing out of place.

"We might have a problem." Bill replied from where he was waving his wand over a section of the tree, sending showers of sparks that briefly formed symbols before dissolving. "It seems that you need to either have a dark mark, or be in the company of someone who have one."

"Is there any other way through?" Moody demanded, his magic eye beginning to focus on the charmed doorway, but something seems to be obscuring his magical sight.

"I might be able to break through, but it might take some time." Bill replied tensely, waving his wand in a different pattern, tracing a number of runes in thin lines of light. "Now, please remain silent and let me concentrate."

The others watched in silence, and in Remus case, in increasing impatience, as Bill drew different series of runes in the thin air in seemingly random patterns and colors, keeping certain combinations of runes, and discarding the rest. He worked unceasingly for twenty minutes, pausing only to mop away the beads of sweat, murmuring under his breath, while Remus paced behind him, hands deep in his robe's pockets, and Tonks watched with worried eyes.

"Almost there..." He whispered at last, as he scrawled a long stream of interconnecting runes that shone a bright red, and watched as they floated up to join with another set of runes that formed a broad blue circle just in front of the tree. Remus stopped his pacing, and went to stand behind Bill, his wand out. Tonks was beside him. Moody had taken up position on the other side of the tree. They watched as the red runes sink into the wavy air within the circle, and detonate with a sharp crack. The blue circle turned pale and broke apart, and suddenly there was a doorway where there wasn't one just a moment before. "There!"

Remus clapped a hand on Bill's shoulder in silent thanks before slipping into the doorway, Tonks just behind him.

"Take a breather first, lad." Moody said gruffly as he too stepped into the doorway. "You can follow later."

"There isn't time for me to rest, Moody." Bill protested into the empty doorway, before following through. And the clearing was empty once again.

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	9. Chapter 9

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter 7 out now. The holidays are almost over, and the family has returned home. Finally, there is peace within the house. I should be able to write and post faster now. But it has been awhile since I last touched this story, so I'll have to take some time to get into the story again.

I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

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Chapter 7:

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Snape swept through the empty corridors of the Death Eater's Headquarters, with barely a thought for the straggling boy lagging behind him. He was too angry to take much notice of his surroundings, as he stormed his way to his lab, hidden within the dungeons. He did not even bother to unlock the multiple locking charms he had placed on the door of his lab, choosing instead to let loose a spell of his own construction, which, backed with the considerable amount of magical force he placed in it, busted open the door as if those locking charms weren't there. Draco hurried after him, almost getting caught in the doorway when Snape slammed the door shut.

"What the hell were you playing at back there?" He snarled at Draco before the echo of the slamming door had died off, pulling his robes towards him and ripping off the Death Eater mask to stare into his gray eyes. "Are you trying to get me into trouble?"

"N...no! Of course not!" Draco shook his head violently, unable to look into his teacher's eyes as he slowly realized the amount of trouble he is likely to be in. "It's just... you heard her! The way she was speaking... like she's our equal..."

"So what?" Snape retorted, shoving Draco away from him and folding his arms. "You've endured her for the last six years, haven't you. Why couldn't you keep your big mouth shut this time?"

"We were at school then! Dumbledore was there!" Draco protested, as he picked himself up from the ground. "I couldn't very well speak up then!"

"And you could shoot your mouth off in front of the Dark Lord?" Snape replied sarcastically. "Is that the way I taught you to behave before the Dark Lord? Haven't you learned anything from me the past month?"

"I'm sorry, professor." Draco apologized hastily. "I didn't think..."

"That's your problem, Draco!" Snape shouted, interrupting his student. "You don't think! You allow your emotions to take control of you! You know that to speak before the Dark Lord give you leave to do so will invite pain, but yet you still did it!"

"I know that!" Draco cried out in frustration. "But there's something about the three of them... When I see them, It's like I lose control of my mouth... Damn Potter and his know-it-all bitch and dumb sidekick..."

"Do not blame others for the mistakes you made yourself!" Snape snapped as he whipped his wand before him, sending Draco flying into the wall. "Finger-pointing and blaming others... That is the coward's way out!"

"I am not a coward!" Draco yelled, jumping to his feet, uncaring at the pain that flared from his bruised back. His ward had somehow leaped to his hand, and he slashed the air with it, willing his magic into the attack, as he latched onto the first spell that came to his mind. "_Sectumsempra!_"

As angry as Snape was, he was still an accomplished duelist, and he found himself flatted against the floor almost before Draco finished yelling his spell. The blade of air flew harmlessly over his head, and Snape turned towards his student, surprised and furious that Draco would attack him in his own office, and with a spell that he had invented to boot, when he heard a loud crash, milliseconds before something exploded behind him.

It was a good thing that he was already on the ground, or he would have been flung against the wall hard enough to break bone. As it is, however, the explosion still managed to sting the back of his robes, and the ends of his greasy hair, lighting them on fire.

Draco watched with growing horror as Snape gave a yell and started rolling around, trying to smolder the fire on his back and hair. He had been too angry to think when he fired the spell, and when Snape dropped to the ground to avoid the spell, it had flown over the professor to hit the tall shelf behind Snape, slicing it neatly into half, at a slight diagonal angle, allowing the various potions and ingredients to fall.

As it so happens, there was a small bowl of Ashwinder's eggs on the shelf, and when it gave way, the eggs had dropped into the potion below, igniting it and causing the potion to blow up, starting a chain reaction that had resulted in the explosion.

Draco edged slowly away from Snape, who had given up rolling on the ground, and was reaching for his dropped wand to cast a flame freezing charm on himself. Some of those ingredients were extremely rare, and most of the potions on the shelf would require a long time before they can be replaced. He would not escape with just a scolding this time.

Snape, instantly feeling the relive from the flames as the charm took hold, turned to stare at the pitiful remains of his work shelf, his mind unable to comprehend the enormous loss of time and energy that he had poured into the creation of those potions, and the huge loss of rare potions ingredients, many of which he might have to wait _years _before it could be replaced.

Slowly, his head turned towards his student, now noticeably nervous, his eyes darting to and fro, searching for an escape. Snape lifted his wand up until it was pointed directly at Draco.

"You..." Snape grounded out, his teeth clenched in anger. Draco had never seen Snape so angry before. His face was red with suppressed rage, and Draco could have sworn he saw steam rising from Snape's head.

"I'm sorry, professor!" Draco apologized quickly, trying to minimize the damage. "I didn't mean to do that... It was an accident! I swear!"

"You..." Snape seemed incapable of speech, and his wand was shaking violently, his knuckles white from gripping his wand so tightly. "Arahhh!" He screamed in rage and spun around, storming to his room at the back of the potions lab. Draco could feel the ground shake from the impact of a heavy wooden door suddenly and forcefully slammed shut.

Draco sank to the ground, stunned. He had tried to curse his professor! Whatever was he thinking...? His head dropped onto his arms, as the energy seemed to drain from him.

No... no. It was not his fault! He had done the right thing. He had defended his pride as a Malfoy. No one calls a Malfoy coward and gets away with it! No, he was not the one to be blamed. The fault lies with someone else... Hermione Ganger...

If she hadn't spoken up, he would not have to try and put her back in her place, and made his lord angry. Then Snape would not have to lecture him, and caused him to lash out, and blew the lab up. Yes, it was all Granger's fault. And he would make her pay...

Having decided on his course of action, Draco stood up, and looked around the office for something, some kind of potion that he could use to extract his revenge on that sucked-up mudblood bitch. He was surprised, however, by the size of the damaged area. The whole far end of the lab was black with soot, and nothing seemed to have survived the explosion.

When he took a step forward, however, his feet caught onto something, nearly causing him to trip and fall. He was about to kick the object away, when he noticed what it was. A small bottle, filled with a potion he had not seen before. He picked up the potion, and read the label on the bottle. What he read made a large smile appear on his face.

With this potion, Draco would have his revange...

------------------------------

When Remus stepped into the doorway, he was sure that Tonks was right behind him. He could smell her, tense and wary. He could even see her out of the corner of his eyes, as she scanned the surroundings with her wand out.

The minute he entered the doorway, however, he was assailed by an intense sense of vertigo, and the world seemed to flip upside-down. It was remarkably like traveling by portkey, except that instead of the familiar feeling of a hook behind the navel, it was as if the ground had suddenly fell away from under his feet, sending him head-over-heels.

When he regained his senses, he was somewhere else, alone. In front of him and behind him stretched impossibly long passageways, lit by torches placed at regular interval. Tonks was nowhere in sight. Remus could not even catch any scent of her, any hint that she's nearby.

"Tonks, you there?" He whispered, even as his eyes studied the passageways. He strained his ears, trying to hear even the slightest sound around him. Unfortunately, there was nothing that he could hear, other then his own breathing. His hands searched the floor, even as his eyes tried to take in all the details of this new place that he had landed up in.

There wasn't much to see though... The walls were stone, rough and unfinished. The floor was paved with flat slabs of stones and he could not see the ceiling. The touches seemed to be about five meters apart, though the farther he looked, the farther apart they seem from each other.

Remus touched the surface of the walls, trying to see if it was just an illusion. They were solid. The floor seemed similarly solid, and he turned his wand upwards. "_Lumos!_"

A narrow beam of light shot from his wand, and dissipated into the darkness, as if it was an open-aired corridor. But the way the sound echo and the general feel of the place was as if he was in an enclosed area.

He should have known that it wouldn't be so easy to break into the stronghold of the Death Eaters. He had been too eager, too impatient to wait for Bill or Moody to check the place out first. Now he was trapped, with no idea what happened to Tonks or the others.

Grimly he lifted his ward and started walking. He would have to find his way out of this trap then, and hope he would not be too late to save Harry.

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Mad-eye Moody was so called because of the magical eye that he wore, to make up for the loss of his natural eye. That madly spinning eye had the ability to see through almost anything, up to a limited distance, and to detect magical signatures. It can also see things that were cloaked and invisible, and see things in their true state. That eye that was the scorn of his auror unit when he first wore it had saved his life many times.

This would be another of those times.

Like Remus, Moody had also experience that sense of vertigo that scrambled his brains with conflicting signals. Unlike Remus, however, when he regain his senses, the endless passageway was not all that he saw. His normal eye was trapped in what seems to be an elaborate illusion, but his magical eye saw differently. Superimposed over the passageway that his normal eye saw was a small room, made of stone, with glowing runes carved around it. He could see Remus and Tonks, standing immobile, unseeing eyes wide open, caught in the illusion, easy prey for any Death Eater. And that, of course, was the purpose of this trap.

Moody turned around, to find Bill too was trapped, though the hand holding his wand was twitching. Obviously, Bill had realized that something was wrong, and was trying to break out of it.

Closing his normal eye, Moody turned his gaze onto the runes that were etched on the wall. While he was no curse-breaker, he would bet his last galleon that those runes have something to do with their current situation. Normally, he would leave this sort of things to the experts, but time is of the essence now, and he could not wait for Bill to break out of it on his own, so he leveled his wand on those runes, and started blasting away.

------------------------------

Tonks had been walking for some time now, on this empty passageway that never change, when something happened. A flare of light suddenly appeared in front of her, on the right wall, and Tonks could barely make out the symbol in it before it disappeared, along with the wall. Another flash of light, and the left wall disappeared too. A third flash, this one so bright that Tonks had to screw her eyes shut, and threw up her arms to bock the light.

When she opened her eyes, the passageway was gone, leaving a small stone chamber behind. Remus was just ahead of her, blinking away the tears that the bright light produced.

"What happened?" Tonks asked, taking in the small chamber that had replaced the endless passageway she was in before.

"I have no idea..." Remus replied, wiping at his eyes. As a werewolf, his senses were shaper than normal, and that flash of light from the broken spell had hurt!

"What happened, lass, is that you were careless!" Moody growled from behind them, as he clomped to view. "It was a good thing I had this magical eye here, or we'll all be sunk!"

"I'm sorry..." Tonks murmured, her eyes downcast.

"Well, no harms done." Bill said with a smile, taking his eyes off the runes that had survived Moody's attack. "Besides, you walked right into it as well, Moody."

"You needn't to say that!" Moody glared at Bill, who returned his glare with a smile. "I have a reputation to protect!"

Bill's smile only widen.

"Alright, fine." Moody relented at last. "So I messed up as well. Let's just take this as a lesson learned and put it behind us, ok? And don't tell anyone about this!"

"Yes sir!" Tonks snapped to attention. The huge grin on her face, however, somewhat spoiled the effect.

"Cheeky witch..." Moody shook his head and walked towards the door opposite the entrance, where Remus was already casting a series of basic detection charms, Tonks and Bill following behind.

------------------------------

Narcissa watched as Voldemort punished Draco without a word. There really was nothing she could say at this point in time that would make much of a difference. She knew her own son, how stubborn he can be. It was the direct result of spoiling him for most of his childhood.

There was a while, just after Lucius was sent to Azkaban, when she had held out hope for her son, that he could realize that the path that his father took was one that would lead to the destruction of the Malfoy family. During the first rising of Voldemort, more then half of the vast Malfoy's fortune was poured into Voldemort's operations, the recruiting of members, the training of the Death Eaters, the bribing of officials and many other things. And not just the Malfoy. Her own family, the Black, had also donated much of their wealth to 'the cause'.

When Voldemort first fell, Narcissa had taken the chance to restore the fortune of Malfoy, mostly without Lucius's knowledge. That man had not believed her when she had shown him the accounts, and she did not feel that it was worth arguing with him for. Thus she did what she could in the background, while leaving Lucius to his own devices. Her only wish then was that she could recover enough of the Malfoy's fortune to allow Draco to live comfortably.

And then, of course, fate threw a monkey winch into her plans when Voldemort rose again. Lucius had immediately placed the money that she had earned into Voldemort's services, without a thought as to how much would remain for his own family.

And then Lucius got himself captured by young Potter, and thrown into Azkaban, and she had taken the chance to limit the amount of money that flows into Voldemort's operations. But with Draco nearing his age of majority, she feared that all her efforts would be in vain. She had tried to win Draco away from the Dark Lord, even going so far as to plea with Severus Snape to take Draco's place in his mission to kill Dumbledore. And it seems that her efforts were paying off.

But when Draco returned from that ill-fated mission with Snape and the other Death Eaters that attacked Hogwarts, Voldemort had ordered Snape to take Draco under his wings, and teach him all that a Death Eater is suppose to know. He was to take his father's place.

Draco was gone for a month, and when he returned, she could hardly recognize him. Gone was the little spoiled brat, the son she had loved for years. Now he resembles his father far more then before, not just in looks, but also in temperament. The first thing he did when he returned was to take control of the Malfoy's fortune, and all the years of Narcissa's efforts went down the drain.

Now, the only thing she had left was her share of the Black's inheritance, and she will be damned if she'll let the man that had destroyed her family and corrupted her only son have that. She had nothing left within the circle of Death Eaters. Her only statue was the mother of Draco, and the wife of Lucius. She had not taken the dark mark like her sister did. And with her son ensnared so deeply within the circle, and her husband in jail, she feared for her safety. Thus she did what she did, and pledged her alliance to the one person that the Dark Lord feared now that Dumbledore is dead. Harry Potter.

-----------------------------

Harry wondered what was Narcissa thinking of. Within his mind, at that tiny corner where the link between them was, he could feel sadness, and a steely determination. But as none of it was directed at him, he discarded the thought, instead refocusing on what his old enemy was saying.

"Come now, Miss Granger." Voldemort said, as he returned to his seat. "Tell us your theory on why I would want your dear friend Mr. Potter to join me."

"Well..." Harry could feel Hermione's fear, as her grip on his arm tightened to the point of cutting off the blood circulation. Her voice, however, did not even waver as she answered. "The only reason I can think of is like the muggle saying. 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.'"

"Close, Miss Granger, but no. That's not the real reason." Voldemort laughed. "That's one of the reason, of course, but not the real one."

"Then what is the real reason?" Harry injected.

"Really now, Can't you figure it out?" Voldemort asked in a pitying tone. "The one with the power to destroy me. If someone has that kind of power, would you rather he work for you, or against you?"

"And that's why you want me with you?" Harry asked. "Just so that I wouldn't be against you?"

"Isn't that reason enough?" Voldemort replied.

"After all the pain you've put me through, you want me to just forgive and forget, and join in your merry band of Death Eaters?"

"Of course I would not ask you to forget everything so easily. That's why I was willing to give up my most able Death Eater to you, to do as you will with her, just because she was the one to kill your last remaining family. That's why I allow your mudblood friend Miss Granger to speak in my presence, and even punished my own servant that had spoken out against her."

"Even so..." Before Harry could continue, he was interrupted by the sound of an alarm, and the doors to the chamber slammed open, reveling a lone Death Eater.

"My Lord!" The Death Eater shouted across the sudden dim within the chamber. "There are intruders!"

"What?"

"The entrance charms have been disabled, My Lord, and they have broken the illusion trap!"

At this, several Death Eaters started murmuring among themselves. The illusion trap was the pain-staking work of over ten Death Eaters. It was suppose to be the ultimate illusion trap, unbreakable from within. How could someone have broken it in such a short time? It was unbelievable! They had, of course failed to account for Moody's magical eye.

Voldemort, however, was not alarmed. He turned calmly to Harry and his friends. "They must be coming for you."

"I imagine so," Harry replied, a slight smile on his face.

"I will not loose my prize so easily!" Voldemort snared, before shouting out over the noise. "Narcissa! Take Harry and his friends to theguest chambers! The rest of you, Let's go hunt some rats!"

A loud cheer echo off the stone walls, and the Death Eaters filed out of the chamber, with Voldemort at the head of them, shouting out orders. Soon the chamber was empty, other then Harry and his friends, Narcissa, and Bellatrix.

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A/N: So, should Harry and co escape now, or should the rescue team get captured instead? Or should Harry and co escape, but the rescue team get caught in their place?And just whatpotion did Draco find? Any ideas would be appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter 8 out now. Sorry for the lateness of this fic, but I was having trouble with certain portions of this chapter. The battle in particular. I wrote and rewrote that part four times before I decided to just leave it and move on, or it'll never be over...

I've also been busy with a new networking business that I joined recently, a company called Omegatrend. If you ever hear of this company, make sure to at least listen to it. It's good.

Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

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Chapter 8:

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Draco was started when the alarm started sounding. The alarm only sounded when hostile forces were found within the caverns. In the two years that he had been coming to these caves, the alarm had never been sounded before. Briefly he was torn between a junction within the complex system of caves that the Death Eaters called home, or at least a second home. To his right, the tunnel would lead to the entrance, where the hostile would most likely be found. To his left would lead him to the throne room, where he saw _her_ last. Now... which way should he choose...?

As he was thinking, a sudden disturbance sounded from the left. Obeying an impulse that he did not understand, Draco retreated back from where he came from, hiding himself in the inky darkness behind him. Silently he watched as the Dark Lord swept passed him, with almost all of his death eaters in tow. His decision made in that instant, Draco waited patiently for the last of them to leave the area, peering carefully around the corner to be certain, before he made his way towards the throne room. With that many Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord leading at the head, the hostile forces are as good as gone.

As he walked, he found himself caught in a strange emotion. His hands would not stop shaking, and on his face was a grin that felt... fitting, if a little disturbing. Soon, he'll have his revenge. Just the thought of it made him excited in ways he did not understand. Nor did he really care. Bouncing the small bottle from hand to hand, he made his way somewhat cheerfully to the throne room.

------------------------------

Bellatrix had thought that she was passed any surprises. After serving the Dark Lord for so many years, endured the tortures of Azkaban for so many years, be give to his enemy as a slave, as if she was worth nothing? What could be worse than that? And after what she had done to the boy, she had no expectation of any mercy from the boy. The Dark Lord had ordered her to obey the boy, no matter what he asks of her. Her only restriction was that she was not to do anything that would harm the Dark Lord, or disrupt his plans in anyway.

And just to make sure that she does not disobey him, the Dark Lord had sealed her will into that damn collar that was now around her neck. Though Harry Potter was not the person that had sealed the collar, he was still her master in every sense of the word. The Dark Lord's command had seen to that... If the boy ordered her to throw herself down the tallest tower she could find, there is nothing she could do to prevent herself from following the command to the letter. He could even tell her to strangle herself, and she would still do it...

Bellatrix sighed inwardly, that thrice-damn collar preventing her body from following her inner self's actions. She had been wearing it for less then an hour, and already she hated it with everything in her. Though it was not the first time she was bounded to someone, it was the first time that she was not in control of her own body. After all, the marriage contract with Rodolphus Lestrange had only stopped her from having sex with anyone other then her husband, while the Dark Mark tied her magic to the Dark Lord. It was rather misfortunate that the ritual that had marked her as a Death Eater had also destroyed the magical bonds of her marriage contract, though Rodolphus did not know that. If that bond was still in place, she would be spared of the humiliation of a sexual nature, but the Dark Lord had known of the broken bonds. He was the one who had broken it after all...

And now the Dark Lord would make use of this fact, just to draw the boy deeper into the snares of the Dark Arts, and his darker nature. She had no doubt that in the event of Harry Potter falling to the Dark Arts, and joined forces with the Dark Lord, her place as the first among the Death Eaters would go to him. In fact, no matter what happens now, even if she gain her freedom again, that converted position would no longer be hers. Too many Death Eaters have seen her in her current form, bounded and helpless, to fear her any longer.

And even if the Dark Lord had promised her freedom after the boy had taken his mark, there is no assurance that he would do as promised. The boy is stronger then her, both in terms of physical and magical strength, and would easily be able to re-enslave her again, should he choose to do so. She had only managed to gain the upper hand in the Ministry fight because the boy was consumed by grief, and was outnumbered three to one. Likewise, when she captured him, he was asleep, and unable to retaliate. In fact, in a serious fight, one on one, she does not believe that any of the Death Eaters would be able to defeat him. Only the Dark Lord would be able to win against the boy...

"I will not loose my prize so easily!" Dimly she heard the Dark Lord snared, his voice cutting through her thoughts. "Narcissa! Take Harry and his friends to the back chamber! The rest of you, Let's go hunt some rats!"

This was the moment that she had been afraid of. The moment when she was left in the mercy of her new master. She watched as the Dark Lord strolled out, followed by his Death Eaters. Some of them, mostly those that had felt her displeasure before, cast scornful glares, or showed gee at her situation, before exiting the throne room. She made a mental note of them, knowing most of them long enough now that she was able to identify them even under their black cloaks and mask. She would remember them. If ever she regain her freedom, she would return, and remind them why she was the best of the Death Eaters...

"Come on then," Bellatrix heard her sister's voice from the corner where she had been standing out of the way. Then she appeared within her vision, her wand out and pointed at the boy. "The back chamber is this way. Move it!" Her wand flickered in the direction of the throne, indicating the small door set just behind it.

Bellatrix watched as Harry Potter's mouth open, as if to say something, but the mudblood elbowed him in the side, and whispered something in his ears. Potter frowned, but nodded and started walking towards the door, his friends following him, until his other friend, the Weasley, spoke up.

"Err… Harry?"

"What?" He seemed, for some strange reason, to be rather upset.

"What about her?" Weasley said, pointing to her. With a start, Bellatrix realized that she was still kneeing in the same position that she was since the Dark Lord handed her over to Potter, and had not moved at all.

Bellatrix watched as Potter frowned, and realized that in arguing with the Dark Lord, he had somehow forgotten that she was still kneeing at his feet.

"You will have to order her to follow you." Narcissa spoke up, an unidentified emotion choking her voice. "That collar around her neck prevents her from independent action."

Potter's frown deepened, but all he said was, "Follow us."

And Bellatrix found herself on her feet, showing no sign of the nearly half-hour of kneeing on the cold stone floor. Potter did not spare her a second glance, but turned around and stormed to the door and threw it open with unnecessary force.

-------------------------------

The first sign that the Death Eaters had found them was a large fireball slamming into the wall beside her, close enough to light a couple of loose hair on fire. She was so surprised by it that she did nothing to stop the fire, and was shocked out of her stupor by a stream of rather cold water that Remus had cast out of his wand, spraying her briefly before he whipped his wand, turning the water still streaming from it into a blade of ice and shooting it towards the advancing Death Eaters, where it was evaporated by another fireball, the twin of the one that nearly took Tonk's head off.

"What are you doing, girl?" Moody shouted at her, having already drawn his spare wand and was casting spells as quickly as he could with them. "Quit standing around and help us out here!"

With only a nod as her answer, Tonks leaped into the fray, shooting a couple of stunners silently, her body on autopilot as her mind struggled to get into combat mode. Twenty minutes of silently creeping around the empty passageway and searching through empty rooms and offices had lured her into complacency, and she was not prepared for the sudden assault.

She had just turned the corner of another empty passageway, after first scanning the rather large circular room that the passageway opened up to, when the fireball appeared. She now realized her mistake, as more Death Eaters appeared before her, disillusion charms melting from them, where they had been concealed within the deep shadows in the room, and more pouring from the passageway opposite of their current position.

Bill was fighting in his own rather unusual method, combining runic magic with the standard spells that resulted in a loud boom and had three Death Eaters clapping their ears in sudden pain as the sonic wave hit them, rupturing their eardrums. They were quickly taken out by Moody, as he caused their black robes to wrap around the Death Eaters tightly, dropping them where they stood, blood ripping from their ears.

After his initial attack, Remus found himself playing the role of a shield, as he pulled the earth beneath them upwards in the form of a wall, allowing the other members of the rescue team to take a breather before the wall shattered under the combine force of the Death Eaters, forcing them to roll away from the falling stones, and into the spells of the Death Eaters.

"Pull back!" Moody yelled, even as a severing charm flew pass him close enough to rip the sleeve of his robe and nick the arm under it. His returning volley slammed the Death Eater into the wall hard enough to break bones. He scrambled to his feet, only to fall again as the mad fireball thrower fired one of his fireball at his wooden leg, burning it off just as he was about to take a step on it.

Bill, obeying Moody's order, had taken one step backwards towards the opening of the room when something crashed into him from the side. Instantly recognizing the shock of white hair as belonging to Moody, Bill threw an arm around Moody, half to keep from falling, half to prevent Moody from further damage. He ducked his head to avoid yet another fireball and pulled, half dragging, half carrying Moody towards the opening. Tonks, seeing what happened, leaped towards them, casting _Protego_ as she did, just before a yellow beam splashed over it.

Remus had already reached the opening, and as Bill approached with Moody, reached out to help Bill with his burden, dragging Moody over the opening just as yet another fireball licked at Moody's boots.

Moody stomped his foot onto the ground, both to put out the remaining flame on it, and to push himself further into the opening. "Damn that fireball asshole!" He growled before pointing one of his wands towards the flaming remains of his wooden leg on the ground, banishing it towards the Death Eater that had been casting all those _Incendio_ spells, piercing him through the heart with it. Remus and Bill dragged him around the corner, cursing all the way.

Tonks was the last to arrive. When she did, she was clutching her side in pain, the faintest trace of red covering her hands.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked in concern, catching Tonks as she dropped to her knees beside him, her breath ragged.

"I'm fine," She gasped, waving him off. Reaching to her side, she roughly tore apart the robe covering the wound, revealing a splinter of stone stabbed into her guts. She heard Remus' shocked intake, but ignored it as she took a couple of deep breath before wrapping her hands around it and yank it out with a cry of pain. Remus, getting over his shock, quickly cast the strongest healing spell that he knew, bathing Tonks in a soft green light and watched in silent relief as the wound slowly close, and the flow of blood from the suddenly open wound slowed down. In the meantime, Tonks had ripped a strip off her robe, using it as a rough bandage on her wound. That done, she collapsed, dropping her head onto Remus' shoulders, completely exhausted, smiling gratefully to Remus.

"Is she ok?" Moody asked quietly, as he placed the finishing touch to his patchwork repair on his wooden leg. While not as good as before, it would serve its purpose until he could get it replaced. With a sigh he started to screw it back on.

"I'm fine," Tonks answered, raising her head from Remus' shoulders, though she was clearly still tired. "Just need a minute's rest..."

"You'll have it, if this works..." Bill replied tensely, as he finished the rather long and involved spell he had been working on. With a flick of his wand, he sent the glowing circle of runes hovering before him onto the roof, causing it to collapse with a thunderous crash, completely blocking the way to the round chamber. Bill turned towards them with a triumphant but weary smile.

"Damnit... We're totally outnumbered." Moody stood up, testing his newly repaired leg. "I had hoped to sneak in and blast out, using surprise to compensate for the lack of numbers..."

"Well, looks like that plan has just been shot to hell..." Remus grumbled.

"But how did they know we're coming?" Tonks wondered, fingering her wound.

"Those runes!" Bill exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

"Which ones?" Moody growled, as he worked out the kinks on his wooden leg. "It seems that there's nothing but runes within this place..."

"The ones in that illusion room, which you destroyed, remember?" Bill replied as he sat down, his body aching. That particular magic had always given him problems. He felt as if he had tore down the ceiling by hand instead of magic.

"Yes, I remember you looking around it before we left." Tonks spoke up, having already replaced her head on Remus' shoulders.

"Well, there were certain runes there that was familiar there, but the holes that Moody left in them made it a little hard to identify them." Bill explained. "However, I think that they were most likely detection runes, used to detect intruders like us and informing the people within, usually by an alarm or something similar."

"That explains the warm reception we got then..." Remus chucked wirily, his arms clasped around Tonks. He too was feeling the ache of the dozen or so minor wounds that the Death Eaters had managed to land on him, as well as the strain of lifting such a large piece of earth.

The ground suddenly shook, dislodging loose dirt from the ceiling to drift down to the suddenly alert rescue team. A hollow-sounding boom could be heard from the wall of loose rocks and pieces of ceiling that Bill had created.

"It seems that our minute had just ran out." Moody said, his magical eye fixed on the shaking wall. "They seemed to be using blasting curse on it."

"It should hold out for a while. It's been reinforced to resist such spells" Bill replied, standing to his feet with a groan. "Still, it would be best if we're not here when they break through. Do you need any help?" This was directed to Remus, who was supporting Tonks to her feet. She was clearly still not recovered from her impromptu operation.

"I'll be fine." Remus replied with a soft smile, before hosing a protesting Tonks onto his back in a piggyback. "We werewolves are tough creatures."

"We'll have to find another way to Harry." Moody said. "Lets go."

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"Fools! Useless fools!" Voldemort raged, brandishing his wand. "It was the perfect trap, and yet you still allow them to escape?"

Th...they proved far more skilled then we anticipated, My Lord." The cringing Death Eater replied, his eyes fixed on the wildly waving wand.

"And did you manage to at least get their identity?" Voldemort sneered, bringing his wand to bear on the Death Eater. "Surely you are equal to that simple task?"

"Ye...yes, My Lord." The Death Eater replied, already cursing his superior for sending him to report to the Dark Lord. "Your servants have identified the Aurors Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks, as well as the werewolf Remus Lupin and one of the Weasley."

"As I suspected. They are here for the boy..." Voldemort mused, tapping his wand against the cheek in a thoughtful manner. "The question now is how in the world did they managed to find this place so quickly?"

The Death Eater could not answer. He could not tear his eyes away from the wand. It holds the power over his life, he knew, and he simply could not think of anything other then when the Dark Lord would turn the wand on him. He had joined up only recently, lured by the promise of wealth and power. The reality was somewhat different.

"Did someone blabber to them? Some traitor? A spy?" Voldemort seemed lost in thought, as he tried to puzzle out how the Order had found him so soon. "No matter! We will find out when they are caught. It should be fun to drag the answer out of them..." And Voldemort laughed his high, cold laugh.

-----------------------------

"So we are to search for them and take them alive, is that it?" Alecto asked, still slightly surprised that the new recruit had managed to escape the Dark Lord's wrath. He must be in a good mood...

"Yes sir!" The recruit straighten himself, his surprise at finding himself alive and unharmed still present in his voice. He had been prepared for at least the _Crucio_, but the Dark Lord had sent him back with only new orders.

"Good!" Fenrir Greyback growled, a lopsided grin on his dirty face, making the recruit jump in surprise. He had sneaked up behind him, and his mouth was just inches away from the recruit's ears. "It's not good to leave a hunt unfinished..." With that, he gave a mad howl of laughter, and walked away.

"Damn crazy werewolf..." Alecto shivered. Working with that mad werewolf was most nerve-racking. Even if watching the recruit nearly pissing himself was rather funny... what was his name again, she never could remember it...

"We are about halfway through that blockage." Amycus reported, as he walked up to his sister. "Another five or so minutes should do it. You better gather up the men."

"Of course." Alecto answered. She looked around, before her eyes fell on the recruit. She snapped her fingers at him, who jumped at the sudden sound. "You there! Gather the rest! Hurry!"

"Yes sir!" The recruit snapped to attention before scampering away. Why does everything always happen to him...?

Amycus watched the recruit for a minute before turning to his sister. "You really shouldn't bully them so much you know?"

"Maybe... But it was so much fun." She answered with a nasty grin.

"Oh grow up already..." Amycus sighed before turning to check the progress on the blockage.

---------------------------

A/N: And so another chapter done. When will poor Harry escape from there? Will the rescue team manage to find Harry, or will the Death Eaters find them first? What will Narcissa do, now that she is alone with Harry and co? For that matter, what would Bellatrix do when she discover what her sister did? What's up with Draco? Will the new recruit ever get a break?

To find out, stay tune… erh... sometime in the future!


	11. Chapter 11

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Chapter 9 out now. Sorry for the late release. Work, you understand. That and the fact that I have no idea what to write when Harry was alone with Bellatrix...

Oh, and japanese-jew? I think that Kodomo has something to say to you. Check the review section if you have the time.

Speaking of reviews, I would like to thank sasqch for the really long reviews that you have left. The points that you made were really interesting, and made me think that much harder on the story. Thanks too to all who reviewed. They were appreciated, all of them.

Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 9:

------------------------------

"This isn't working..." Moody said, as they stood facing a dead-end, the third that they had found since retreating from the skirmish with the Death Eaters. "We're out-numbered, injured, and in the enemy's territory with no hope of reinforcement and little to no intelligences on our foes... Standard Auror tactics would be to pull back and regroup..."

"But what about Harry?" Bill asked, tapping the wall with his wand in case there was any hidden doorway.

"You can go back if you wish." Remus growled, slamming a fist into the wall. "But I'm not leaving without Harry. I failed Sirius, I will not fail Harry! Either I get him out of here, or I'll die trying!"

"Calm down, Remus." Moody replied. "That's not what I mean. I have no intention of leaving anyone behind. I was just trying to say that we have to make some kind of plan, or we'll just end up dead! Then who would be around to help Harry?"

The two men stood glaring at each other for a moment before Bill coughed, breaking the tension.

"I'm sorry..." Remus apologized, dropping his gaze. "All this delay is getting to me."

"It's alright." Moody replied, grunting. "I don't relish seeing Minerva and Molly empty-handed anyway... But it seems that the only way forward is through those Death Eaters. These passageways lead nowhere..."

"But there's too many of them." Tonks said, coughing lightly. She had recovered enough to walk on her own, but she still had to lean of Remus for support. "And I'm in no state to take them on again."

"We'll have to think of some way to trick them." Remus agreed. "There's no way we can beat them in a head-on match..."

"But what can we do?" Bill asked. "They are sure to know this place better then we do. They'll be able to spot any traps we put up easily."

"Damn... If only we have something to work with..." Moody grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets in frustration. His expression frozen, however, when he felt something inside them. His face started to grow more excited when he remembered what it was exactly that he had placed in his pocket.

"What is it?" Bill asked, seeing the change in expression. "Did you think of something that we could use?"

"I am a fool." Moody chuckled, pulling out a small packet with the WWW logo from his pocket and showing it to the others.

"Of course!" Bill exclaim, smacking his forehead. "My brothers' stuff! I had completely forgot we have those!"

"We are too used to fighting with only our wands, I think..." Remus replied, frowning. "If I have remembered, then you wouldn't have gotten injured." The last part was directed to Tonks.

"You don't know that." Tonks replied, laying a hand on Remus' shoulder. "Besides, there isn't time to use any of it, even if we had thought of them."

"It's no use playing 'what ifs'" Moody cut in. "So... shall we go give the Death Eaters a surprise?" This was said with as wide a grin as Moody could manage with his twisted mouth.

"Hell yeah!" Bill replied with a match grin, pumping one arm in the air. "It's payback time!"

---------------------------

"Is it done yet?" Alecto asked her brother for the fifth time in as many minutes. She was growing inpatient, and itching to cause someone some pain. Sitting around had never been her style anyway.

"Just a little more." Amycus answered, watching as yet another blasting charm wear away at the rock fall. "The intruder seemed to have charmed the rocks. They are much harder then usual."

"Sir! The forward team reports that the way is almost clear, and the others are formed up and ready." The Death Eater recruit reported, standing at attention. Inwardly he was groaning. He had been pressed into the role of a massager again! Why is it that everyone sees fit to drop all these tedious job onto him?

"Understood." Amycus replied, with barely a glance at the person reporting; what was his name again? He had seen the recruit around before, but the name kept slipping his mind. Then the dull roar of falling rocks distracted him from his thoughts, and a sudden cloud of dust arose from the opening. Amycus raised one arm up in the air, ready to signal the Death Eaters forward to find their escaped preys, when something appeared in the flickering light of the torches.

"What's that?" One of the Death Eaters asked, puzzled, as the something came into view. A small black ball appeared, walking rapidly forward on tiny feet. Then another appeared. And another.

"Did someone let loose their kid's toys or something?" Alecto asked sarcastically, aiming her wand at the leading... ball-thingy. "_Reducio!_"

They watched as the spell impacted onto the weird thing, tossing it upwards and back. It landed on its back, tiny feet still moving in the motion of walking. The watching Death Eaters laughed at the sight. Some of them aimed their own wands at the other ball-like things, which had now increased in number to almost ten.

Then the one on its back exploded with a loud bang, shocking the Death Eaters.

"Damnit! Bombs! Those things are bombs!" One of the Death Eaters shouted, as soon as he could hear himself. There was a moment of stunned silence, before the Death Eaters literally jumped into action, leaping back from the suddenly dangerous-looking devices, the foremost already almost at their feet. They were so busy with the Explosive Decoy Detonator that they completely missed Moody sudden appearance at the entrance of the cavern. He did not stay for long, however. Just long enough to lop a tightly sealed bottle in the direction of the Death Eaters before he retreated back from where he came from.

Some luckless Death Eater looked up from the Decoy Detonators just in time to see the bottle fly end-over-end before it smashed into his face, releasing the contents. A sudden lightning bolt flashed before his eyes, microseconds before he was flash-fried by it. The bolt then leaped out from the smoking corpse, acing through the empty air in an expanding circle. Four more Death Eaters fell to the deadly electricity before the flickering edge touched the first of the Explosive Decoy Detonators, with explosive results.

Alecto stared at the carnage in shock, unable to comprehend the sudden destruction within her ranks. She had brought thirty Death Eaters into the room. Now less then half was still alive, and most of the survivors were in just as much shock as her. One moment she had the upper hand, with numeric superiority and an injured quarry. Now her numbers were cut into half by some unknown device, and they had not even seen a glimmer of the enemy. It was almost enough to make her cry!

------------------------------

Just beyond the opening to the room, the rescue team was in as much shock as the Death Eaters. They had expected perhaps to distract the Death Eaters a little, giving them the chance to punch through them and into the passageway beyond. They had _not _expected to decimate half of the Death Eaters in less then a minute.

"Well... that went better then expected..." Moody noted, looking at the devastation of the room.

"That's an understatement if I ever heard one." Bill laughed, running a hand through his ponytail. "Remind me never to piss off the twins, ever!"

"Who would have guessed that they are capable of something like that?" Remus mused, stoking his chin. "But then again... considering their accomplishment during their seventh year, when they broke out from Hogwarts... perhaps not so surprising after all..."

"Remus," Tonks asked from the corner, where she seemed to be thinking of something. "Do you think you can use the spell when you extinguish the fire on me again, but this time on the Death Eaters?"

"Of course." Remus replied, somewhat surprised at the sudden change in topic. "But why would I want to do that?"

"Well...I was just thinking... water conducts electricity rather well, right?" She asked, barely acknowledging the answering nods before continuing. "So, what if we combined the weather bottle with that water spell of yours..."

The resulting grins on the faces of the rescue team were positively vicious.

------------------------------

It was, all in all, a rather nice room. It was used by Voldemort as a place to relax before he had to face his servants, and as such was outfitted with a small wine cabinet, charmed to remain chilled at all times, and a long, comfortable couch to rest in. A table stocked with various types of potions stood in a corner, in case there is a need for them. On the other side, a small bookcase filled with dark arts tomes stood. Narcissa waved the rest of the party in, before closing the door with a small sigh of relief. With a solid door between them and the Dark Lord, and away from the various surveillance charms, they were finally able to talk freely. There were still plans to be made, after all, if they hope to escape with their lives.

"Now, my Lord. If you would wait here, I will go retrieve your wands, and then we can leave this place."

"Is this place safe?" Hermione asked, gazing around the room, though her eyes lingered on the couch, passing over even the bookcase. She had stood face to face with the Dark Lord, and it had taken much out of her. She was exhausted, and there was nothing that she wanted more at that moment then to drop onto the soft couch and rest.

"It's safe." Narcissa assured her. "This is the Dark Lord's personal waiting room. There is no surveillance here. The Dark Lord insisted on that."

"How are we gonna escape from here?" Ron asked. "I mean, do we have to go through the whole lot of the Death Eaters? We didn't fare too well the last time we face them..."

"There is only one place within fifty kilometers that you can portkey or apparate out, and we have all the Death Eaters within this base between us."

"There are no other ways?" Harry asked. There is nothing more he would like then to leave this place behind him for good, and he was impatient to be gone.

"There is a floo connection to the old Lestrange estate. Your friends were brought here by that route."

"And I came through the front door?"

"You were brought directly to the Dark Lord, as you remembered..."

"Yes... I remember..." Harry replied, suddenly feeling the pain on his injured body that, in the excitement of confronting his old enemy, he had forgot.

"Anyway, when I return with your wands, we'll make a break for it through the floo system while the Dark Lord is preoccupied with the intruders at the front.

"Alright then... One last question."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"What am I suppose to do with her?" Harry demanded, waving a hand towards Bellatrix, who stood just behind him, eyes downcast.

"Anything you wish, my Lord." Narcissa replied stiffly. "The Dark Lord has given her to you after all..."

"Anything?" Harry asked slowly. "I can do anything to her?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Even if I did to her what she did to me?"

"...Yes, my Lord..."

"Even if I commanded her to kill herself?"

"...Yes..."

Harry was about to continue, but the sudden spike of sorrow from the corner of his mind that lead to Narcissa put a sudden stop to it. It was enough to shock him out of his rant, to see Narcissa shaking, with tears standing bright in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concerned. Though he still does not fully trust her yet, the sight of a woman in tears never fail to unnerve him.

"Harry..." Hermione spoke up from the couch at the back of the room where she had been resting, her tone disapproving. "You try asking someone if you can rape and kill her sister, and see if you would not be upset!"

"Oh... I..." Harry reacted as if he had been slapped, as his mind raced back to what he had said in his fit of anger. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..."

"It's alright, my Lord." Narcissa interrupted, dashing her tears away and straightening herself up. "She is yours, to do as you will. If you'll excuse me, I will retrieve your wands and then we can leave this place."

With that, she turned and left the room, leaving a rather awkward atmosphere within the room.

"I think she's upset, mate." Ron spoke up from beside the door where he had been leaning against.

"Yes... I can see that..." Harry replied with a sigh, as he walked towards the couch where Hermione was sitting, and sank into it warily. "Damn... What was I saying...?"

"I can understand why you are feeling upset, Harry. But are you really going to do what you said just now?" Hermione asked, laying a concern hand in his shoulders. "With Bellatrix, I mean..."

"Of course not." Harry answered. "Look at her..." He pointed to Bellatrix, who was now kneeing beside the couch near Harry, eyes lowered submissively. "How am I suppose to do anything to someone who is like that?"

"You have a point there..." Ron said, dropping into the free space beside Hermione with a grin. "It's not much fun unless they can fight back."

"Ron!" Hermione cried out, shocked. "How can you say that? That's a human being you're talking about!"

"Precisely my point." Ron shot back. "Look at that." He pointed to the collar around Bellatrix's neck, a broad band of leather etched with runes, not unlike the bracelet that Narcissa now wore.

"What about it?" Harry asked, not seeing the point.

"I have heard about such things before." Ron replied, now serious. "They sap a person's will away, leaving them as nothing more then dolls, to be used as their owner please. They can do nothing, not even sneeze or cough without their master's permission."

"What... That's horrible!" Hermione had always held very strong feelings about the free will of other people and races, the house-elves foe example. To find out that there are people that would take even such basic freedom away from other people was a shock.

"I heard that it was rather popular among the Death Eaters during the last war." Ron continued, his ears going red. "They used them on muggles for... sexual purposes..."

"But why would Voldemort use such things on one of his most loyal servant?" Harry wondered aloud. "What kind of monster is he...?"

"He may be making a point." Hermione reasoned, trying to avoid thinking about Ron's last statement. "Showing off his powers? That no one is indispensable, not even his most loyal servants?

"Or maybe he really want Harry to join him, that he is willing to sacrifice his best Death Eater to prove it..."

"Not likely, given how the prophecy went. I am suppose to kill him, not join him..." Harry answered. "I think that it is a stupid move on his part. Does he really think that giving me Bellatrix like that would turn me to the dark side?"

"Aren't you even a little tempted?" Hermione asked, tilting her head curiously. "I mean, there she is, helpless to anything you want to do to her. Don't you want to take revenge for what she had done to you at least?"

"Not really..." Harry sighed, turning to look at Bellatrix. "Looking at her now, like that. It makes me feel sorry for her. The Bellatrix I wanted to face should be on her feet, with her wand. Not someone who can't even defend herself. I want to defeat her, to beat her down. What meaning is there to victory, unless you are the one to win it...?"

"That's not important now..." Ron said. "The question now is... what do we do?"

"We wait..." Harry sighed. "It's not as if we can just walk out of here..."

-------------------------------

Draco turned the last corner leading towards the throne room, just in time to see his mother walk rapidly away from it, her shoulders hunched and shaking, as if she was crying. Draco had a momentary desire to go to her, and find out what's wrong, and to comfort her if she had truly been crying. She was his mother, after all... But it was gone as soon as it came, and Draco pushed it aside easily. He had a revenge to take, after all, and could not afford the time for every trivia things that happened his way...

He was momentarily surprised when he pushed open the doors to the throne room to find it empty... until he heard the voices of Potter and his merry men within the back chambers. He cursed softly, realizing the meaning. The chambers behind the throne room were the Dark Lord's personal room. As such, only guests were allowed inside it. Most Death Eaters had never even seen the inside of the room, though Draco had been inside it, the day professor Snape brought him back, after the botched mission to kill the Headmaster... to give an account of his failure. His mother had been with him then, he remembered...

Draco shook his head to clear his thoughts. This is not the time to be thinking of such things. _She_ was just behind that door, and he would have his revenge. Soon...

-----------------------------

Harry sat, lost in thoughts, as he took advantage of the silence to organize his thoughts. Things had happened so quickly; his capture, the tortures, and the offer of aid from his enemy's mother, Voldemort's sudden change in attitude towards him, his 'gift'... It had left his head spinning, and this was the first time that he had the time to deal with it. Hw wondered who could it be that had entered Voldemort's base, and if they were really here to rescue him and his friends. He had told no one of the planned trip to gather information on the Horcruxes, and it was unlikely that anyone even knew where he was at the moment... Unless... they were following him... keeping track of him somehow...

Normally, he would have been furious at the thought that the Order would seek to keep track of him, but in this case, he could not help but feel relief that they had maintained as close a watch as they did. If he had been by himself, he would not have worried so much. But with Hermione and Ron along for the ride, Harry felt the weight of responsibility for their lives too. Added to that was Malfoy's mother, bonded to him as his servant, willingly, and Voldemort's... 'gift'. Though unwanted, he nevertheless had to take responsibility for them too...

Yes, at this point in time, he would have taken any help that he could get. He was way over his head in this, and he knew it. Even when he was surrounded by Inferi he had not felt so helpless. At least Dumbledore was with him then...

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Hermione's head dropping onto his shoulders, and her hand intertwined with his. He turned his head, only to see Hermione smiling up at him, and feel her hand squeeze his softly.

An odd sort of calm fell over him, as he allowed his head to hit the back of the couch and relax, his eyes drifting shut for perhaps the first time since he woke up in this really screwed up day...

And of course, fate would not allow him even that. The sound of the door slamming open shook Harry out of his relaxed state. Standing at the doorway, wearing a manic grin and waving a small bottle, was someone that Harry would rather not face at this moment in time; Draco Malfoy.

------------------------------------

Well, the rescue team managed to get pass the Death Eaters. Up next would be the Dark Lord Voldemort.

And now it's Harry and co's turn to be in trouble. Will they ever escape? Or will I just keep them in various situation until the end of time...?


	12. Chapter 12

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Sorry for the lateness of this chapter... I had finished the chapter, and was about to upload it when my computer decided that it would be a good time to hang up, and crashed the system. This is all that was salvaged from that disaster. It's shorter than normal, but I figured that it would be better then making you guys wait for another month.

Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 10:

------------------------------

Harry stared at Malfoy, taking in his crazed expression, and the bottle that he held in his hand. He wasn't even looking at Harry, but instead had locked his eyes on Hermione. His grin grew wider at the surprised reaction that he got from her.

"Found you!" He sang out, his grin by now disturbingly wide. There was something really wrong with Malfoy, something that Harry was unable to place a hand on, but it left him uneasy, and he found his hand inching towards a wand that he realized he did not have belatedly.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron spat out, glaring at him venomously. His fists were clenched at his side, and he looked as if there was nothing he would like better to do then to punch the daylight out of Malfoy.

"None of your business, Weasel!" Malfoy sneered, dismissing Ron with barely a glance. "My business is with the mudblood."

"Oh? What do you want with me?" Hermione spoke up, her face pale, but defiant.

"Revenge!" Malfoy snared, brandishing the bottle in his hand. "You humiliated me in front of the Dark Lord! You made me blow up professor's Snape's lab! You will pay for all that!"

"What? Snape's lab? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "I've not even been close to Snape's lab the whole time I'm here..."

"It doesn't matter!" Malfoy snapped, cutting her off. "For what you did, I'll have my revenge!"

Hermione could only watched in shock as Malfoy drew back his arm and threw the bottle in his hand as hard as he could towards her. She was, however, too surprised to do anything about it. Time seemed to slow down as her eyes tracked the bottle, spinning end-over-end almost slowly to her bemused eyes. It had almost reached her when there was a sudden bur, and a hand appeared from nowhere, catching the bottle seemingly effortlessly, just inches away from her nose. Shocked, her eyes traced the hand, along the arm to Harry, who appeared as surprised as she was.

"Curse you, Potter!" Malfoy's cry broke into the sudden silence that his actions have created. His hand was already reaching for his wand.

Ron had watched, stunned, as Malfoy threw an unknown potion at Hermione. But when Harry managed to catch the bottle, Ron managed to snap from his shock, and with a roar of fury, leaped from his seat halfway across the room towards Malfoy. So unexpected was his actions that Malfoy was caught off guard, and was unable to do anything to block the fist that came towards his nose. He was lifted off his feet by the force of the blow, and crashed into the stone back of Voldemort's throne, causing cracks to web out from the impact point.

Ron took another step forward, intent on causing more harm toward his hated foe, when a sudden blast of light knocked him back into the room, bouncing him off the floor a couple of times before slumming against the couch that he had been sitting in a moment before.

Draco Malfoy stood up slowly, his wand held before him, tip still aglow with the powerful stunning spell that he had used against Ron. With his free hand, he wiped of the blood that had been trickling from his nose.

Harry had stood up, half wanting to join in beating up Malfoy, but had frozen on seeing Ron fly backwards, and Malfoy's wand in his hand. He was suddenly reminded that his wand was not with him.

"Now, be a good boy, will you Potter, and pour that potion over your girlfriend there." Malfoy's smirk was back full force on his face, and the wand in his hand was pointed towards him.

"And why would I want to do that?" Harry replied, deliberately shifting the bottle to his right hand, away from Hermione, as he straightened himself from the half-crouch position he was in.

"Because..." Malfoy answered lazily, even as he waved his wand in a pattern that was disturbingly familiar. "...I asked you to! _IMPERIO_!"

And a great sea of calm washed over Harry's mind, rocking him back slightly. In the sudden fog that clouded his mind, a voice could be heard, speaking over and over again... '_The bottle. Pour it over the mudblood..._'

'_NO!_' Harry nearly screamed in his mind, as he pushed with all his might, trying to wrestle control of his mind back from the curse, nearly panicking when he discovered that he could not.

'_THE BOTTLE! POUR IT OVER THE MUDBLOOD!_' The voice was louder now, so loud that it threatened to drown out his own voice. It thundered between his ears, loud and insistent. It demanded attention, and compliance. It would brook no opposition, no protest. '_No..._' Harry thought, in the maelstrom that was his mind, but he could hardly hear himself now. '**_THE BOTTLE! POUR IT OVER THE MUDBLOOD!_**'

'_Just pour the bottle over Granger..._' the voice is soft now, whispering through the echo of the thunder. '_Pour it over her, and I will leave you in peace..._'

'_No..._' Harry protested weakly. But he was loosing control over his limbs. To his horror, he felt his arm swing over Hermione, as someone else commanded his thumb to work the stopper loose...

----------------

"My Lord!"

Voldemort looked up, frowning at the panicking tone that he heard. He had been reading on one of his servant's potion report, detailing the effects of the various experimental potions that he had ordered brewed. The shouting and banging open of the door of the potions lab had effectively placed an end to any thoughts of study though...

"What is it this time?" Voldemort sighed irritably, placing the report onto the stone workbench beside him. He really need to train up the newest recruits, he mused. The last batch had nearly lost control of their bladders when Nagini appeared from the shadows to coil around one of them... No doubt this recruit had encountered Nagini in a dark corridor or something. While he would normally not have tolerated such behavior, he was in a good mood today, what with Harry Potter in his grasp and all. Maybe he would play along just this once...

"What did you just say?" Voldemort broke his mussing, as something from the panicked blabbering of the recruit made its way into his ears.

"They... they had weather mages with them, my Lord!" The recruit repeated, nearly wriggling his hands off. Voldemort's eyes widen as he took in the appearance of the Death Eater recruit, something he had not bothered to do before. The hair of the recruit was standing on ends, his face and robes had black smudges on them, and he was smoking slightly. He looked exactly like someone would after being stuck by lightning.

"Weather mages?" That's strange... Snape had not mentioned any of the listed intruders having weather mage training...

"Ye... yes, my Lord." The recruit replied. "They threw lightning around, an... and rain was pouring in the cave, and... and..."

"Enough!" Voldemort snapped, feeling his anger grow as he stood up. His good mood had vanished. "Who remains among my servants?"

"I... I'm the only one that survived..."

"WHAT?" Voldemort roared, spinning around to stare unbelievably at the recruit.

"There was an explosion, my Lord..." the recruit stammered, suddenly more afraid of the Dark Lord then of the lightning bolt that had filled his mind just moments before.

"You mean to tell me..." Voldemort grounded out from between tightly clenched teeth. "You mean to tell me that thirty Death Eaters, along with three of my inner circle could not even subdue four miserable intruders!"

"My Lord... I..."

"_Crucio_!"

Voldemort watched dismissively as the luckless Death Eater recruit dropped to the floor screaming, his mind turning this latest development over. As much as he hated to admit it, he was forced to acknowledge that he had severely underestimated the cursed Order of Dumbledore's... If just four of them could defeat thirty of his Death Eaters, and his inner circle to boot, he would have to step up the training of his Death Eaters in the other hideouts. He thought that numbers would win the day, but now he had to admit that quality is just as important, if not more so.

Releasing the spell that he had maintained on the recruit while he was thinking, he spun around and strolled to the door. Potter would have to be moved, and this base destroyed. The Order knew about this base now, and with the loss of most of the Death Eaters within its walls, it's time to move to another base. It was just as well that Severus Snape had not joined in the fighting. He was too important to risk.

Reaching the door, Voldemort wretched open the door... and was shocked to see a mass of inky darkness washed over him.

---------------

"Are you sure that the Instant Darkness Power would work?" Tonks whispered, as she watched Bill scattered the contents of a packet of said powder into the air just outside the door that the last Death Eater had ran into, and the room where the screaming was coming from. "I mean, this is You-Know-Who we are talking about, right?"

"All the better, kid." Moody replied, a huge grin on his face. "He would not be expecting it."

"Shush." Remus hissed, from his position at the door. "I can hear him coming."

"Let's go, lads." Moody said. "No point staying here to be caught."

"Just one little finishing touch..." Remus replied, waving his wand over the floor just outside of the door, transfiguring the stone slabs into ice. "There."

They had just round the corner when the door crashed open, and they could clearly hear the scream that the Dark Lord issued as the Instant Darkness Powder went to work, and the 'thump' as Voldemort, unseeing, stepped onto the patch of ice in his path and went sliding into the wall. The rescue team was barely able to contain their laughter as Voldemort blistered the air about him with curses, random spells shooting forth from his wand, hitting nothing but wall and ceiling. It took Moody tapping on their collective shoulders before they left their perch to continue their mission, still laughing as quietly as they could.

-----------------

Narcissa walked rapidly, trying very hard not to think about what Potter might be doing to her sister. No matter how she tried to reason with herself that it was only natural that Potter would be seeking revenge after what Bella had done to him, she could not completely convince herself of it, and she found herself on the verge of turning back to make sure that Potter was not doing anything to Bella many times.

'_No... with his friends there, Potter would not do anything too much... hopefully..._'

She turned a final corner, barely stopping in time before she ran into the thick steel plate that was the entrance of the storeroom. Still attempting to keep her mind off her sister and her Lord, Narcissa pressed her wand unto the keyhole of the doors. There was a brief flash of light as the security spell on the door, placed there by the Dark Lord himself, recognized the signature magic of her wand, and verified that she was who she appeared to be. When the spell was satisfied, a thin line appeared in the middle of the steel plate, splitting them into two.

Narcissa placed her hands onto the door, pushing lightly. Another spell placed directly onto the doors verified that the person that was opening the door was the same as the one that had unlocked it before swinging smoothly back on well-oiled hinges.

Stepping into the storeroom, Narcissa silently cast _Lumos _before searching for the wands of Potter and his friends. It did not take her too long to find them, as they were placed on a table in the middle of the room, seemingly on display.

Narcissa swept her wand over the table, checking for traps, but turned up nothing. It seems that The Dark Lord felt that the charms on the door would be enough. Not wasting another moment, she picked up the wands on the table, using the sleeves of her robes; just in case...

--------------

A/N: Well, well... what would Voldemort do when he discover that he had been pranked? Would Harry able to stop himself? Would the Dark Lord leave the wands in plain sight? Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

The next chapter would see Harry and co escaping Voldemort's hideout. Hopefully everyone would be able to make it out.


	13. Chapter 13

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Well, there you have it. The escape. I'm sure there will be some of you who will be disappointed with this chapter, but I found that I could not be bothered to continue this any more. It has become a chore and a bother to write, and I'll rather just end it here then to drag it on and on... Oh well, if any of you are interested in continuing this story, go right ahead. Just send me a link to your story in an email or something.

Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 11:

------------------------------

Bellatrix had remained kneeling at the side of the couch as she watched the drama unfold before her. Though she wasn't sure exactly what would she do if she was free... Would she aid Potter, as par the Dark Lord's instructions? Or would she help her nephew instead? That was a moot point though, as the collar would not allow her to do anything at all. Thus she watched silently as Draco taunted Potter, and the mudblood, and saw Potter's seeker's reaction first-handedly when he snatched the bottle that Draco had threw at the mudblood with ease, surprising even himself, it seems.

She watched as the Weasley threw himself at Draco, intended on beating him silly, only to be blown back by Draco's spell. And she watched as Draco cast _Imperio _on Potter, and apparently commanded him to tip the bottle that he still held in his hand over the girl, as Potter's arm rose over the girl, but stopped just as he was about to pour the contents of the bottle. Clearly, Potter was fighting the _Imperius _curse, though it seems like Draco is wining, as Potter's hand tilted even more, the mysterious liquid within nearly reaching the lip of the bottle.

Beads of sweat coated Potter's face, as he fought for control of his body. Though his arm did not move, he managed to move his face enough for Bellatrix to see his lips, and read the words on them...

_Help me..._

And that was enough for her. A command, though unspoken, was still a command from her master, and she had to obey. She rose up on her feet, her face not changing expression even as her knees groan with the strain of kneeling for a prolong period of time. Her hand reached into her robes for her wand and she whipped it at Draco, silently casting a summoning charm on his shoes.

Draco's look of concentration was broken as his shoes ripped themselves away from him, flying towards Bellatrix, who neatly sidestepped, allowing the shoes to pass by where she had been standing. Draco went flying, and his head impacted itself onto the stone throne behind him, disorienting him. By the time his senses returned to him, Harry had already pulled the bottle away, his thumb tight over the stopper, and Bellatrix had moved in front of Harry, wand held up protectively.

"What... the hell..." Harry murmured, trying to shake off the effects of the _Imperio_ curse. His hand rose to his head, as he felt the beginning of a killer headache starting to form.

"Aunt Bella! What are you doing!" Draco yelled, shocked and surprised at being attacked out of the blue, and by a relative to boot. In his eagerness to punish the mudblood, he had completely overlooked his aunt, kneeing in the corner of the room by the couch in her black robe, covered by the shadows.

"You will not be allowed to hurt my master..." Bellatrix intoned monotonously, her wand not wavering the least.

"What...?" Draco could not believe his ears. "I am a blood relative! You would turn your back on your own blood to aid a half-blood? What's wrong with you?"

"You will not hurt my master." Was the only reply.

"What... what did you do to Harry?" Hermione finally recovered enough to ask.

"What...?" Draco's focus shifted, and his entire face changed. He smiled, a slow grin that made Hermione shivered in fear, as he picked himself off the floor. "Why, don't you know, smarty-pants? It's the _Imperius_ curse. I'm sure you have heard of it before."

"But Harry should be impervious to the _Imperius _curse..."

"Impervious? Hardly! His mind is leakier then a broken boat!"

"What...?" Harry looked up on hearing that.

"But... Harry has thrown of the curse before..."

"Oh, I would admit that scar-face had a pretty impressive natural barrier on his mind before fifth year. It was even enough to give the Dark Lord pause. But that has changed since..."

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, her mind racing through the possibilities.

"For the so-called smartest of our year, you can be surprisingly dim at times." Draco taunted, laughing. "Think, girl. Who has been into Potter's mind during that time?"

"Snape...!" Harry growled; having realized that even before Draco had finished his question.

"Bingo! We had a winner!" Draco clapped loudly, letting the sound echo through the room mockingly.

"What the hell did Snape do to my mind!" Harry demanded, his hand going again to where his wand should be, only to find it empty again.

"Need you even ask?" Draco answered with another laugh. "He ripped your mind open, Potter! He tore down your natural defenses and left it wide open for the Dark Lord to put a most interesting dream into your head. You know... the one that sent your doggy to his doom?"

"But the Headmaster... Surely Professor Dumbledore..." Hermione wringed her hands, trying to work the puzzle out.

"That old fool knows nothing!" Draco cut her off. "It only took a few words from Professor Snape, and that fool left everything into his hands. He did not even bother to check Professor's Snape's work, so trusting is that old fool, and he played right into the Dark Lord's hands!"

Harry felt his rage build with every response that Malfoy gave, and when he broke into scornful laughter after his last sentence, Harry could take it no more. "You bastard!" He yelled, as he stepped around Bellatrix, intent on doing the same as Ron did, and smash his head into the stone floor. Before he could take two steps, however, he found himself staring at the business end of Malfoy's wand.

"Do not be rash, scar-face." Draco whispered, his voice easily carried in the sudden silence. "I can fire a spell long before you can reach me."

"See if I care!" Was the uncaring reply, as Harry leaped forward recklessly, ignoring the wand pointed almost in his face.

"Fool! _Stupify_!" Draco smirked, as a red beam of light shot from his ward. He did not really even bother to aim properly. With Potter mid-air, there is almost no way for him to dodge the spell. It was understandable then, that Draco was unpleasantly surprised when Harry dropped out of the line of fire, and the stunner flew harmlessly over his head to impact onto the stone walls behind. "What the..."

Any farther comments that Draco could have made was cut off when a sudden blow to his guts drove the air out of him. Harry had dropped low when the expected spell had shot from the wand, and then had buried left his fist into Draco's guts with as much force as he could, anger fueling his blow. His right fist shot up in a textbook perfect uppercut, copied from the one time Dudley had managed to catch him in the summer before his fifth year, caught the point of Draco's chin, lifting him up into the air, just in time for his left fist to smash into his chest, sending Draco flying, once again, into the back of the stone throne.

Harry stalked forward, intended on hurting Draco even more, when a pair of hands slipped around him, holding him back.

"Enough, Harry..." And Harry, even in his anger, recognized Hermione's voice. "He's out cold already."

And true enough, Draco was slumped against the back of the throne. His wand had rolled away from his nerveless hands, and it was only the slightest movement of his chest that told Harry that he was still alive... barely.

Harry was suddenly aware of the pain in his hand from the bone to bone contact with Draco, and he dropped to the ground, suddenly exhausted. It was a good thing that Hermione still had a grip on him, or he would have gone crashing onto the floor. As it was, it was all that Hermione could do to hold him up.

"Damn, I'm tired..." Harry groaned, half leaning on Hermione, feeling his body aching all over. He could barely keep his eyes open, and was seriously thinking of just falling asleep there and then when a shadow fell over him. With a huge amount of effort, Harry forced open his eyes to see the Remus hovering over him, with Tonks looking worriedly over his shoulders. "Finally... Took you long enough to get here..." He murmured, before finally surrendering to the darkness.

------------------

His eyes flickered open for just a second before he screwed it tightly shut again, the sudden glare of white threatening to blind him. Opening them carefully, Harry took in the very familiar sight of the Hogwarts hospital wing, having been sent there often enough that even without his glasses he could recognize it. Briefly he wondered if he had dreamed up his capture by Voldemort, before the signals from his body shot that idea down. He felt as if he had been battered all day by Bludgers, which, come to think of it, was not that far from the truth...

"So you are awake now, Mr. Potter. Honestly, can't you stay out of the hospital wing for longer then a month?"

Harry couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face at the sound of the friendly voice. "You know that you'll miss me if I stay away for too long." He replied cheekily.

"So I would, indeed..." Madam Pomfrey bustled into view, pulling back the white sheets that surrounded his bed. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better then before." Was the expected answer, as Harry reached to the side table for his glasses.

"Indeed..." Madam Pomfrey seemed to hesitate then, peering at him over the rim of her glasses. "I... heard about what happen... with Lestrange. Miss Granger told me... while I was treating you. Are you truly all right?"

"I... I had not had the time to deal with it yet..." Harry admitted, his grin fading. "But I'll be fine, I'm sure."

The awkward silence dragged for a few minutes, before Madam Pomfrey suddenly clapped her hands. "Well then, if you are feeling up to it, there are some people who have been waiting for you to wake up." With that, she strolled over to the door of his room, pulling it open to allow a teary-eye Hermione to enter, followed by Remus and Tonks in the rear.

With a cry, Hermione threw herself onto Harry, who suddenly found himself with a handful of weeping female.

"Glad you're awake now, Harry." Remus said, as he pulled a chair over to Harry's bedside and sat down on it. Tonks did not bother with a chair, choosing instead to hop onto the empty bed beside him. "Madam Pomfrey nearly had to drag Hermione out of the room that night."

"How long was I out?" Harry asked, trying to decide where best to place his hands.

"Almost two days." Tonks replied, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Wolfy here was worry sick for you."

"I'm sorry..."

"Nah... Don't worry about it." Remus waved his apologue aside. "Besides, it's kinda my job to worry over you."

"So where's Ron?"

"On the other side of the room." Remus replied, pointing a thumb in the direction. "He hasn't woken up yet. Something to do with that last stunner that he got."

"Oh... Is he alright?"

"Yeah. Madam Pomfrey reckon that he'll be up and about in a day or two." Tonks answered.

"So how did we get out of there anyway?"

"Well, we were on our way to rescue you, when we ran into Narcissa Malfoy, who had somehow gotten hold of your wands. Moody nearly hexed her before she convinced him that she was on your side. You'll have to tell me how you did that, by the way."

"Long story..." Harry replied with a shrug. "She seems to have gotten into her head that I was the last hope she had for freedom, and used some kind of loyalty bracelet to prove her words."

"Oh..." Remus was surprised. A loyalty bracelet? That sort of binding had not been in use for a very long time now. Briefly, Remus wondered what made a proud person like Narcissa Malfoy to resort to a loyalty bracelet, before pushing it aside for future consideration. "Anyway, she brought us to where you were, where we found you in Hermione's arms, on the floor, and Draco Malfoy knocked out close by. We did not even notice Bellatrix Lestrange until we tried to move you, only to have her appear at your side."

"Moody nearly took her head off, but Aunt Narcissa managed to stop him somehow. Said that Aunt Bella is a slave to you." Tonks continued. "And how did you manage to do that?"

"Voldemort." Was the growled reply. "It seems that he thought that giving me Sirius's killer would make me join him..."

"I... see..."

"Well, anyway, we levitate the lot of you, followed Narcissa Malfoy to a floo connection that lead to the old Lestrange estates, and out of the anti-portkey wards, and portkey you all back to Hogwarts. And that's the end of it."

"So where are they now? And Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked, as he notices that Hermione's crying had quiet down, and that she appeared to have fallen asleep on him.

"Moody has them in the dungeons," Tonks replied. "He is still not convinced that what they said was true. Said he'll wait for you to verify their story before deciding what to do."

"Alright then. As soon as Madam Pomfrey lets me out of here, I'm going to have a long talk with both Mrs. Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. We have plans to make. Voldemort isn't going to let this slide by."

"I'll ask Madam Bones to put the Aurors on alert then. That should help put a few more pair of eyes out there." Tonks said, as she swung off the bed.

"Tonks," Harry asked quickly, before he lost his nerves. "May I ask if you are willing to train me up a little?"

"Well..." Tonks shared a look with Remus. "Professor Dumbledore asked us not to interfere with your mission..."

"But I need to learn to defend myself..." Harry pleaded. "They just took me from my bed! I can't let that happen to me again!"

"I don't think he meant for us to leave Harry completely defenseless." Remus replied slowly. "I, for one, don't think it's a bad idea to teach Harry at least the basics of what you Aurors learn. At least he won't be caught off guard the next time the Death Eaters come after him..."

"You may be right. I'll talk to Moody and see what he says. Alright, Harry?"

"Thank you."

"I might have a few suggestions myself." Remus said, stretching himself. "I'll need to talk to the twins first, but if those ideas work out, we'll be able to win this war much faster..."

-----------------------


	14. Chapter 14

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: There's something I would like to ask you folks, if anyone is still reading this, that is. I have been rereading this fic and I saw many places that I could improve on. The question now is; do you people think that I should rewite this story, or should I just continue from here. Frankly, I would like to start over again, but I leave that to you guys.

If you want me to start over, and you have some idea you want to see in this story, tell me about it in the review, and if I can fit it in, I will do so. Same goes if you would rather I just continue from where I left off.

Thanks for your input in advance.

Regards : Shinteo5


	15. Chapter 15

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Everyone, I am baaack! Sorry for the really, really long delay. I have no excuse for it, save that life happens. Here's to hoping that I can start writing faster... though I wouldn't promise anything. I know that for such a long time, this chapter is extremely short, and for that, I apologize. I'm having some trouble with this story at the moment, in that I have no idea where to go next...

I would like to thank all those who have reviewed the last author's note. I was very surprised by both the number and the content of it. Thank you all. I will finish this story no matter what! Thanks for believing in me.

Anyway, I hope that you'll enjoy this new chapter as well.

------------------------------

Chapter 12:

------------------------------

"Is this really necessary?" Narcissa asked, glaring at the one eyed Auror sitting not far away from her, his ward pointing in her direction. Her arms and legs were chained up in enchanted manacles that were attached to the ceiling in a dungeon somewhere under the castle. Beside her, Bellatrix too lay chained up, though she was also stunned and immobilized. Clearly, they perceive her to be the larger danger. Draco lay on her other side, also bound and stunned. They were taking no chance, after what Hermione had told them. "This is how you thank the one who brought you out of the Dark Lord's lair?"

"Shut up, Death Eater scum!" Moody growled, his wand not moving in the least. He was seated on a wooden stool placed just inside the room that Narcissa and Bellatrix was held, where he could see the three clearly.

"I resent that!" She protested, grinning lightly. Truth be told, even though she was chained up and technically within enemy territory, she was feeling far happier and more light-hearted then she could remember. She suspects that it might have something to do with the lack of the Dark Lord's presence. Or maybe that she was here on her own will, and not of others. Most likely both. "I'm not a Death Eater!"

"Which is the only reason why you aren't stunned like them." Moody replied shortly. "Now shut up and let me have some peace!"

"You're no fun." Narcissa pouted. Really, it was almost like someone had cast an extra strong cheering charm on her. She felt almost like a teenager again, except that she was never this giddy before, even as a child. The Black family was not a very happy family after all. It was always 'proper manners' with them, and with her father the youngest brother in the family, it seems that he was always trying to one-up his older sister. Though he did become insufferably smug when Sirius ran away from the House of Black to stay with the Potters. Her father was always saying '_We'll show them what a _real _Pure-blood is like!_' whenever they had to visit the House of Black.

As a result, Narcissa and her sisters had grown up prim and proper, as befitting of a Black. That was, until Andromeda went and ran away to marry that muggle. That had her father raving until the day he died, complaining about 'bad influence' every time the two branches of Blacks meet.

Her thoughts were broken when the tiny corner that held the link to Harry Potter twitched. '_Finally awake, are you? Now maybe I can get out of these chains...' _

Harry carefully lifted Hermione from him, and managed somehow to slip out from under her without waking her. Gently he tucked her into his bed, before making his way to the door of the hospital wing.

"And where do you think you're going, Mr. Potter?"

Harry froze, his head turning slowly to face Madam Pomfrey, who was standing at the door of her office with her hands on her hips, a frown on her face.

"Just... a little walk." Harry said, smiling sheepishly. One of her eyebrow rose in response. Her expression did not change the slightest. She clearly did not believe him.

"It wouldn't happen to be the dungeons you were planning to take a stroll to, would it?"

"Well..." Harry could only smile and shrug his shoulders.

Madam Pomfrey walked up to him, casting a critical eye over him.

"It seems you've recovered enough to walk at least. But are you sure you want to wander around here in this?"

"Huh?" Harry looked down on himself, noticing for the first time that he was walking only a hospital smock, and nothing else. His face began to glow red.

"That's what I thought... in here." Madam Pomfrey smiled, gesturing towards her office before walking to it herself. Harry followed her, still blushing. "The house elves have placed a change of clothes here for you."

"Thanks." Harry smiled before disappearing behind the heavy sheets that divided the room, and out of sight, and changed into proper clothes for the first time since his capture.

"You'll want your wand too. I'll leave it on the table here. I have to check up on Mr. Weasley."

"He's alright, isn't he?"

"Of course. He just took a heavier stunner then normal, and has to sleep it off, that's all." Madam Pomfrey's voice grew fainter as she walked out of the office. "I'll tell you when he wakes up."

"I appreciate that." Harry answered, as he stepped from the sheets and picked up his wand, relishing in the feel of his wand and his magic. He had never felt so naked when his wand wasn't with him.

"By the way." Madam Pomfrey's head popped back into the room. "Several of your friends have already been to see you while you were still out. I believe that they are now in the Gryffindor's tower."

"Thanks." Harry nodded.

With that, he stepped out of the hospital wing, his mind already turned to the problem of his... servant? Was it the right word to use with Mrs. Malfoy? What was he going to do with her? And Bellatrix too, for that matter. She was, after all, the one that killed Sirius, not to mention what she did to him. But she did save him, and Hermione, when Draco Malfoy tried to force him to pour some kind of potion into Hermione. He shivered at that thought. Anything that Draco Malfoy give him would most likely kill him, while making him suffer most horribly in the process.

So preoccupied with his thoughts was he that he did not notice his feet bringing him towards the Gryffindor tower on their own.

---------------------

"Harry!"

Harry looked up, surprised at the sudden and unexpected voice that broke into his thoughts. For a moment he thought he was hearing things, before his eyes caught sight of three people that had just turned the corner of the corridor that he was walking in.

"Ginny?" And suddenly, for the second time that day, his arms were filled with yet another weeping girl. Harry closed his arms around her slowly, still unused to close contact, before nodding his head at the other two persons behind Ginny. "Neville, Luna? What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to see you, of course." Luna replied, in that dreamy tone of hers, though her eyes were focusing on him in a very un-Lunaly manner.

"Ginny owled me and Luna when she heard what happened from her brother... Bill, was it?"

Though still buried in Harry's shoulders, Ginny managed to give a noticeable nod.

"Bill? How did he know about this?" Harry asked. "Shouldn't he be preparing for his wedding?"

"He was with them when they rescued you." Ginny answered into his shoulders. "He was the closest member of the Order when Moody asked for reinforcement."

"Oh..."

"Anyway, we decided that we would do more good here with you guys then twittering our thumbs at home." Here Neville gave a grim smile. "Gran forbid it, of course. But I give her the slip and flooed to the Barrow, where I met up with the girls, and we portkeyed here." His face fell then. "I suppose Gran would be furious when she finds out that I'm not in my room..."

"I just told daddy that I would be spending the holidays at the Barrow." Luna explained easily, when Harry's eyes drifted to her. "We got here yesterday."

"Are you alright, Harry?" Ginny asked, lifting her head from his shoulders, though she kept her grip on him.

"I'm fine, Ginny." He smiled, assuring at her before turning to Neville. "So you're staying at the Gryffindor Tower? Even Luna?"

"Yeah. Professor McGonagall decided that it would be better for her to stay with us while we're here then alone at Ravenclaw."

"Is Ronald alright?" Luna asked, again looking uncommonly serious.

"He's fine, or so Madam Pomfrey told me. Though Ron would have to stay in the hospital wing for the time being."

"Oh dear. I hope he's really ok..."

"Don't be such a worrywart." Ginny said, releasing Harry and turning to Luna, and thus missing the very slight expression of relief on Harry's face. "All us Weasleys are as tough as they come."

"Are you really alright?" Neville asked, having caught the look that Ginny missed, and was curious about it.

"I'm fine, really." Harry assured his friends. "But there's something I have to do first. Maybe if I meet you guys a little later in the tower, we could talk more?"

"But..." Ginny made to protest, only to be cut off by Luna's hand on her shoulder.

"Of course, Harry. Anytime." Neville replied.

"We'll see you back at the tower." With that, Luna turned Ginny around and marched her off, followed by Neville, though Ginny was looking back every few steps until they turn the corner they have came from.

Harry stood bemused for a moment, wondering at Luna's unusual behavior, before shrugging his shoulders and turning towards the dungeon, his mind already back to the problem of his 'servants'...

--------------------

Mad-eye Moody sat stiffly on his stool, the hand holding his wand resting on his knee, looking almost like a statue. The only moving thing on him was his magical eye, which was swerving about, making sure that everything is as they should be. Every once in a while it would jam a little, before resuming its path. Moody cursed the impostor that had worn it without taking proper care of the eye under his breath. Even after two year, it was still giving him problems.

His eye caught sight of Harry Potter descending the stairs, looking very thoughtful, long before the sound of his footsteps reached his ears, the advantage of an eye that can see through walls. He exited the room and waved his wand, casting a quick silencing charm and a concealing charm on the doorway, hiding the door from view and ensuring that the prisoners would not overhear the talk that Moody wanted to have with Harry.

"I see you're finally up." Moody began when Harry turned the corner into view. "Took you long enough."

Harry jumped, surprised, at the voice. He had been so deep in this thoughts that he had not notice Moody sitting there. "Professor Moody!"

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?" Moody snapped.

"Sorry..."

"Never mind." Moody grumbled. "So what were you thinking so hard about? I could almost see steam coming from your brains."

"Oh, nothing." Harry answered shortly, his eyes drifted to the floor, and Moody did not push any farther. There was a moment of silence before Moody decided to break it.

"So, I heard from Tonks that you are looking for some training?"

"Ye... yeah." Harry nodded, looking up.

"What do you need it for?"

"What do I need it for? Bellatrix took me from my bed! She captured me like I was a... a child! I need to learn how to defend myself!" Harry was nearly shouting at the end of it.

"I see..." Moody sighed, and lean back onto the wall behind him. "While I agree that there are things that you need to learn, I don't think that we are the ones to teach it to you."

"But there's no one that can teach me what I need to know better then an Auror!"

"That would be true, if your objective is the capture dark wizards, or to enforce peace. But I'm sure you know that that's not what you need to do."

"The prophecy... You know about it?"

"Only that it exists." Moody's tone was sober as he clapped a comforting hand onto Harry's shoulders. "But I don't need to know what the prophecy says to know that you and that self-declared Dark Lord would confront each other again, and that only one would walk away from that confrontation."

"Oh..." Harry looked down for a moment. "Do you know someone that can help me with that then?"

"Of course I do."

Harry's head shot up at that remark. "Really?"

"Yup." Moody nodded, his twisted lips open in a grin. "Your friends, Potter."

"My friends?" Harry's smile disappeared as he processes this new information. "But..."

"Oh I know what you are thinking right now." Moody cut in. "But I can't ask my friend to fight in this war! This is between me and Voldemort, I can't endanger my friends for it. Is that about right?"

Silently, Harry only nodded.

"The final fight might be between you and Voldemort, but you'll still have to get past his Death Eaters first, not to mention those dark creatures that he managed to get to his side. You can't do it all alone. To put it bluntly, you'll need others to fight them for you, so that you can take down the head." Moody explained.

"But can't the Order do that?" Harry asked. If at all possible, he would rather not involve any of his friends in this war.

"I hate to put it to you this way, kid, but the Order is not really a fighting group." Moody looked rather uncomfortable as he continued. "Sure we have some very capable fighters, but as a whole the Order is more suited in information gathering then open fighting."

"But my friends are mostly still in school!" Harry protested.

"If I did not remember wrongly, you held off twelve Death Eaters with only five of your schooling friends with you only a year ago, did you not? And using only basic dueling spells to boot." Moody asked.

"That was a fluke!" Harry retorted. "We just got lucky. Besides, we couldn't do anything when Voldemort appeared."

"Do you know that it would have taken at least twenty Aurors to handle twelve Death Eaters? Especially with Malfoy in that bunch. Considering the situation, I'd say you did a fairly good job. No one died, did they?"

"No..." Harry admitted quietly. Did they really did so well at that time? It had not seemed that way to him at that time...

"I suggest you talk to Granger, and any friends that you find trustworthy about this. They would be able to help you, I'm sure of it."

Hermione! Yes, Hermione would be sure to have some idea as to what to do. And the rest of the ministry crew was here too.

"And besides, you have another trump card with you." Moody waved his wand, dispelling his concealment charm as he did.

Harry jumped a little, surprised when the door appeared suddenly besides him.

"I'm sure they would have information that we can use."

Harry peer into the room, to see Narcissa, Bellatrix and Draco Malfoy chained up in the room.

"About time you got here, My Lord." Narcissa said, managing to somehow look arrogant despite the chains. "Would you mind getting me out of these chains, my Lord? They are irritating my skin."


	16. Chapter 16

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: I have returned! *Cue thunder and lightning*

Sorry for the extremely long delay in this. Book 7 killed any desire for me to write anymore HP fanfics. This chapter was in limbo for 2 years. In fact, it was a recent review that reminded me that I have promised to finish this, so I decided to revisit this piece and well, there you have it.

Enjoy.

------------------------------

Chapter 12:

------------------------------

The Dark Lord, Voldemort, sat brooding in one of his other bases, sprawled out on a throne that's almost a carbon copy of the one he used in his previous base… The one that the thrice-cursed Order of the Phoenix managed to trash with only four people…

He simply couldn't get his mind off that fact, even as he paid half an ear to the report that a nervous Death-eater-in-training was rambling away about. Four person. Four miserable person have overwhelmed almost thirty of his Death eaters, including three from his inner circle! It's inexcusable!

And to make things worse, the so-called rescuers have made a couple of kidnapping of their own, spiriting away not only the prize that he had spend the better part of three years to get, Harry Potter; but also his best Death Eater, Bellatrix, and his most potential recruit, Draco Malfoy, along with his mother, Narcissa Malfoy. That was simple not right! _He _was the only one allowed to kidnap others. _He_ the Dark Lord for crying out loud...

But even that wasn't the worst of the situation. If what one of the few survivors from the last attack said is true and they have a Weather Mage in their forces, then his task just grew exponentially harder. A Weather Mage by definition always had a great deal of power. It takes a lot to affect the weather after all. And to be able to use his or her craft within an enclosed area as his last base would mean that this Mage has an extremely fine control over his or her powers.

And that always means trouble. A well-trained Weather Mage could wrack havoc in a battlefield, using wind and lightning to decimate their opponent. They were hard to kill too, as they could work their magic from anywhere within sight of the battlefield, usually somewhere that isn't visible from the ground, or extremely inaccessible, to reduce the chance of getting killed.

But a Weather Mage is also extremely rare, due to the length of time needed to actually train one, and also the low number of witches and wizards that have the required amount of power to even endure the training. Besides, the training would normally take ten year or so and Voldemort himself have killed the last known Weather Mage for refusing to take his mark during his last rise. So where had this one popped out from...

Regardless of where this new enemy come from, the next step is obvious. He would need to step up both his recruitment efforts as well as the training of his existing Death Eaters. He could not afford another humiliation like the last encounter.

And that darkness... what was that? It blinded him so suddenly. Some kind of dark cloud? While the ice that he slipped on was within the realm of possibility, given what was known about Weather Mage, could one have created such dark clouds within the mostly dry cave complex that was his last hideout? What kind of power and discipline was needed for that...?

The rituals... Can they be used to overcome the Weather Mage?

"Get me Snape here!" Voldemort spoke suddenly, cutting off the recruit in mid-speech.

"But, My Lord..." The Death Eater recruit gestured towards the pile of parchment in his hands, "The report..."

"I couldn't care less whatever meaningless rubbish you have to report." Voldemort replied, his voice steadily growing in volume as he went on. "I gave you an order and I expect to be obeyed at once! _Crucio_!"

The recruit screamed as his nerves were ripped raw by the pain spell. Voldemort's irritation had translated to greater power into the spell, resulting in even worse pain then normal.

The Dark Lord's eyes flickered towards another Death Eater, who stood towards the back of the room with another sheaf of reports in his hands. Without another word, he dropped the reports and fled the room.

------------------

Harry stepped fully into the room, taking in Narcissa's restraints with a poorly hidden shudder. It was too similar to what was used on him for comfort.

"Was that really necessary, Moody?" Harry asked, jabbing a thumb towards her.

"That's what I asked before..." Narcissa pouted, pulling at the chains a little just to make her point.

"Can't be helped, kid." Moody answered, his wand now pointed in her general direction. "Constant vigilance, remember."

"Yeah, well... I don't think that she'll be able to do anything right now. You have her wand, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Of course. I have it right here." Moody replied, patting his pocket with his free hand.

"Then I think that it'll be ok to release her. Besides, there is still that bracelet.

"So it's true then." Moody asked, his magical eye swerving towards Harry.

"What is?"

"She was talking about some kind of pact or something when we met her back at old snake-face's base."

"Yeah. It's true all right. She has vowed to help me out, and in return, I get her out of Voldemort's grasp. Though it seems that I didn't do much to help, in the end..."

"I'm sure it's the thought that counts, kid."

"Hey! Don't keep talking as if I wasn't here!" Narcissa, having finally had enough of being ignored, shouted.

"Well, I guess we can always use her knowledge of the death eaters to our advantage." Moody continued as if she had not spoken.

"I'm not sure how much help she'll be though... She wasn't usually at their little... club meetings." Harry answered. "Now Bellatrix on the other hand..."

"I see..." Moody said, scratching his chin with his wand, before realizing what he was doing, and turned the wand back at Narcissa. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that Harry did not see his lapse in precaution.

"Anyway, what's done is done. There's no need to chain her up like that anymore." Harry said, turning his wand onto the chains and opening them with a silent '_Alohomora_'. As Moody was behind Harry, he did not notice the raised eyebrow on Moody.

"Thanks, my Lord." She said, rubbing her wrist, where the chains had chuffed them.

"You're welcome." Harry replied, reaching out a hand to help her up.

----------------------

Remus made his way through the nearly empty streets of Diagon Alley; most of the stores still close for fear of Voldemort's attacks. There were only a few shops that even dare to leave their store open, and of those, only the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes chose to attract attention with their bright lights and dazzlingly merchandises on display. The contrast could not be more obvious.

Remus pushed open the door, to the jiggling clang of about a dozen bells hidden behind the door. Unlike the rush before term starts, the store is currently nearly empty, with only a couple of curious patrons within the shop. Remus looked around the shop, hopping to catch a glimpse of either of the Weasley twin.

There was a sudden sound of explosion, which startled Remus and the browsing customers, causing them to look at each other uneasily, before one of the twins appeared from behind a door at the counter, coughing violently as thick purple smoke poured from the room behind.

"It's alright, folks." He spoke up, after he managed to clear the smoke from him. "No harms done. Fred just managed to blow up the lab again."

"It's not like you didn't have your fair share of it, brother mine." Fred retorted, emerging from the smoke filled room, a handkerchief covering his mouth and nose.

"Very true." George agreed, raising his wand to rid the smoke from the room.

"Allow me to help." Remus said, pulling his wand from his pocket and strolling towards the twins.

"Professor Lupin!" Fred cried out. "We weren't expecting you."

"Well, there's something that I have to discuss with you. Maybe in private?"

"Of course." George replied, as he guided the smoke with his wand towards a hole in the ceiling designed just for such occasions. "We can talk in the back room, as soon as we rid ourselves of this smoke.

-------------------

Tonks watched curiously, along with the Head Mistress Minerva McGonagall, peering into a crystal ball placed on the table of the office. While she did not really like the idea of a crystal ball and its connection with the subject that she despises the most, Divination, she could not deny the usefulness of a crystal ball that could see anything within the castle. That, of course, was how the late Professor Dumbledore always seems to know everything that goes on in the castle. The crystal was currently set to observing Harry Potter.

"Are you sure this is alright?" Tonks asked, as the crystal ball tracked Harry and his encounter with Moody. "I mean, isn't this an invasion of privacy?"

"While I hate to do this, we must keep an eye on Harry now." McGonagall answered. "You know what Harry had gone through. We must make sure that he doesn't do anything rash."

"I can understand that, I guess..." Tonks replied. "It's just..."

"I don't like it any more then you do." The headmistress turned her attention from the ball to Tonks. "But keeping Harry safe is more important than our feelings, isn't it?"

"Can't argue with that."

----------------

Hermione woke up with start, hands clutching at something that wasn't there anymore. Her heart skipped a beat when she sat up and realized that Harry wasn't around anymore. She was just about to enter into full blown panic mode when Madam Pomfrey popped her head into the room from her office.

"Ah, awake now, are you?" She asked with a smile. "If you're looking for Mr. Potter, he said he'll be at the dungeon."

"He's alright, isn't he?" Hermione asked, worry in her voice.

"Of course he is. Do you think I'll let him out of my sight if he isn't?" Was the reply as she walked into the room and waved her wand over Hermione.

"Oh, right..." Hermione slipped off the bed, feeling the worry drain a little. Madam Pomfrey has always been fiercely protective of her charge, so her letting Harry leave the hospital wing should be alright, shouldn't it? But still...

With a murmured thanks, Hermione slipped past Madam Pomfrey to look for Harry, not noticing Madam Pomfrey's expression as she studied the display of colors from the diagnosis spell.

-----------------

Snape swept into the throne room, paying no attention at the cringing Death Eaters that lined the room. "You called for me, My Lord?" He asked, with a deep bow.

"Ah, yes." Voldemort smiled, an icy cold smile. "Tell me, what are the results of the rites that young Draco underwent?"

"As you expected, My Lord, his magical powers and ability have increased greatly." Snape answered. "However..."

"However...?"

"He seemed to have grown... unstable, mentally I mean." Snape answered. "As My Lord noticed the last time he was in the circle, he dared even to defy you."

"Yes, I noticed. I had though it was his Malfoy arrogance speaking."

"He would never have dared to before, My Lord. It seems that his courage have increased, but so has his recklessness. This could be useful in certain situations."

"Perhaps... And yet, it is not a good thing to have. We can't have my Death Eaters defying orders, now can we?"

"Of course not, My Lord."

"See if you can remove this undesired element from the rites, Snape."

"I will do my best. Though without Narcissa around, it might take a little more time."

"Yes, she is the best at runes and **Arithmancy, isn't she? Very well, you have until the end of the month. I want those rites ready for use on my servants. I cannot allow the so-call light side to have another victory again!"**

**"As you command, My Lord"**

**---------------- **

**"This is..." Remus exclaimed, staring at the object in surprise. **

**"Amazing, isn't it?" Fred, or was it George, replied. **

**They were in the twin's workshop, just behind the store front. Normally, it was a dangerous place, with potions and enchanted objects all over the place, and only the twins know which is harmless, and which can blow your eyebrows off. At the moment, however, there was only one thing of importance within the room, and it's right at the center of it.**

**"We took the concept of those portable swamps we developed before, and... improved it a little." One of the twins explained, gesturing towards the pool of vile slime that was at the center of their workshop, bathing the room with a poisonous green glow. **

**"Observe." The other twin said, levitating a block of wood over the slime. Slowly the block dropped, until the bottom touched the slime. There was a hissing sound, and suddenly the block of wood disintegrated, eaten up by the slime. In just under a second, the only remains are a thin layer of ash on the slime.**

**"Now imagine what would happen if this were to appear under a group of Death Eaters..." George, (Or was it Fred?) asked, with an evil grin. **

**"You guys seems to be getting a little vicious." Remus said, a little disapprovingly, shaking his head as even the ash disappeared from the slime.**

**"After we heard the news about Professor Dumbledore, we realized that we could no longer afford to play around." **

**"Yeah. I mean, if what we made could help end this war faster, then we should do our best to help out." **

**"I couldn't agree with you more." Remus smiled, disapproving frown disappearing. He reached into his robes and pulled out a thick shaft of parchment. "I have something here that you might want to take a look, though there's nothing that is as interesting as your... what do you call this thing anyway?"**

**"Haven't got a name yet." Replied one of the twins, as he took the parchment and started leafing though it. "We just got it to work earlier."**

"We've just been calling it the acid swamp." Said the other twin, waving his wand and dispelling the swamp back into it's container.

"Seems as good a name as any." Remus replied as he walked about the room, looking at the various potions bubbling away."You are not planing to market that to the public, right?"

"No. Doesn't seem like a good idea." Fred answered, handing the parchment to his brother. "Besides, we don't want this to fall into the death eater's hands."

"Then the name isn't that important. So how do you find the notes?"

"Are these...?" George waved the shaft parchment about.

"Some ideas we had that we did not have time to implement, back in our Marauder days." Remus confirmed. "As well as ideas that came to me during the last fight."

"So the tools work out well?" Fred asked.

"More then we could have expected." Remus grinned, and began to recount the tale to the twins...

------------


	17. Chapter 17

Harry Potter and His Witches

By: Shinteo5

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: I have discontinued this particular story. But don't worry. It is in the process of being rewritten. The first chapter is already up. Please give your honest opinion of the new version. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.

Regards

Shinteo


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